Removable partial denture design: a photoelastic study

Quantifiable frozen-stress photoelastic techniques were used to analyze stresses induced in mandibular models by a conventional free-end saddle removable partial denture. Four quasi-anatomical mandibular models were constructed for processing, together with their respective calibration specimens, through identical time/temperature stress-freezing cycles. After processing and slicing, an unloaded control model demonstrated some low-order fringes adjacent to the coronal third of the abutment tooth roots, but was otherwise stress free. A lower bilateral free-end saddle partial denture was constructed and fitted in turn to each of the remaining three models. Each denture/model combination was then loaded and processed through a stress-freezing cycle. After processing, 6-mm slices were cut from selected regions for analysis for the presence of stresses. Using a polariscope with circular polarized, monochromatic light, values for maximum shear stress were calculated at selected points in the slices taken from the three loaded models. Variations up to 28% of the mean were obtained for the three experimental models as compared with the consistent results for the material fringe values obtained from the calibration specimens. The study pointed out the problems involved in using photoelastic stress analysis on complicated anatomical models. The interpretation of the results from such studies should be approached with caution.