Abutment teeth with extracoronal attachments: the effects of splinting on tooth movement

This in vitro study investigated the effects of splinting on abutment tooth movement when loads were applied to a removable partial denture framework with extracoronal attachments. The abutment tooth movements occurring in the vertical, frontal, and sagittal planes were measured with a kinesiograph modified for the purpose. It was demonstrated that splinting abutment teeth resulted in a significant decrease in the mesiodistal and buccolingual movements of the distal abutment under vertically applied loads. The direction of the abutment tooth movement was related to the type of loading and was unaffected by splinting. Bilateral loading produced significantly less movement of the single abutment tooth mesiodistally and buccolingually than unilateral loading.