Effect of the major connector on abutment tooth and denture base movement: an in vitro study

This in vitro study investigated the effect of the major connector on distal abutment tooth and denture base movements when loads were applied to a partial denture with extracoronal attachments. A brass mechanism was constructed for load application, and the abutment and base movements were measured in three planes using a kinesiograph. It was determined that cutting the major connector affected the degree of abutment tooth movement but not the direction. After cutting the major connector, the base movement increased in all three planes with the different forces applied. The direction of the base movement changes only in the buccolingual plane.