Stress distribution of abutments and base displacement with precision attachment- and telescopic crown-retained removable partial dentures

Five types of removable partial dentures (two attachment dentures, two telescopic dentures and one clasp denture) were designed. The two attachment dentures were retained by the rigid-precision attachments with or without a stabilizing arm, and the two telescope dentures were retained with cone telescope crowns with or without cross-arch stabilization. The stresses acting on abutment teeth and denture bases and the movements of denture bases were investigated, and the influences of denture design were clarified. The stress acting on a terminal abutment tooth retained by a rigid-precision attachment or cone telescopic crown was larger than that acting on a terminal abutment tooth retained by a clasp. The attachment dentures tended to concentrate more stress at the terminal abutment tooth than did the telescopic dentures. The stress of denture base of an attachment denture and a telescopic denture was less than that of a clasp denture. There was no difference between the stresses of attachment and telescopic dentures. The displacement of the denture base tended to be less when the denture was designed with a rigid connection for the retainer and with cross-arch stabilization.