Direct Retainers in Removable Partial Denture

Retention is that quality inherent in the removable partial denture that resists the vertical forces of dislodgement for e.g., the force of gravity, the adhesiveness of foods, or the forces associated with the opening of the jaws. Retainer is any unit of a removable dental prosthesis that engages an abutment tooth to resist displacement of the prosthesis away from basal seat tissue. Direct retention is the retention obtained in a removable partial denture by the use of attachments or direct retainers (clasps) resist the displacement of the prosthesis from the abutment teeth in a opposite direction to path of its insertion.Function, esthetics and harmony of the dental structures have become one entity. To develop an esthetically, technically and functionally adequate restoration, it is essential to treat and prepare the remaining teeth. To achieve retention in removal partial denture cases a choice between an intracoronal and extracoronal retainer is necessary.