Effect of abutment mobility, site, and angle of impact on retention of fixed partial dentures

Fixed partial dentures cemented to dies of adjustable mobility were subjected to repeated impacts at three different sites. Immobile abutments retained their prostheses longer than mobile abutments. Impacts that fell between the centers of rotation of the abutments were withstood longer than impacts that fell nearer the ends of the prostheses. This study failed to show a significant difference between the effect of impacts perpendicular to the occlusal plane and impacts angled 45 degrees toward the lingual plane. The results of this study suggest that (1) crowns that anchor rigid prostheses to mobile teeth require greater retentive ability than crowns on relatively immobile abutments and (2) occlusal impacts are best withstood when they fall on the areas of the fixed partial denture over and between the centers of rotation of the abutment teeth. If a fixed partial denture must withstand loading outside these areas, as is the case with cantilevered pontics and some tilted abutments, the retainer furthermost from the anticipated eccentric load must have exceptionally good retention.