Esthetic Rehabilitation of Missing Anterior Tooth using Loop Connectors to Maintain Midline Diastema: A Case Report.

Loss of anterior teeth in patients with diastema presents a great esthetic challenge for the prosthodontists. In cases with midline diastema and interdental spacing, the option of a conventional fixed partial denture becomes impossible to use. This is because of the excess space available for pontic, which makes the incorporation of the diastema in the planned prosthesis, a compulsion. Diastema closure in such cases with the help of conventional fixed partial denture is bound to result in esthetic failures. This article presents a case of midline diastema successfully maintained by lingual loop connectors between the pontic and the retainers to achieve esthetic rehabilitation in the mandibular anterior region.

Flexible Partial Dentures - A hope for the Challenged Mouth.

The strong, flexible nature of flexible denture material is perfectly suited to the variety of natural conditions in the mouth, simplifying design and enabling the flexible nylon resin to act as a built-in stress-breaker that provides superior function and stress distribution. Partially edentulous patients with challenging conditions like abused ridges, allergy to denture resins, undercuts due to angulated remaining teeth, cancerous lesions and cleft palate pose a great challenge for the fabrication of a successful removable partial denture. Flexible denture offers a simpler and cost effective treatment for the oral rehabilitation of such cases. Flexible nature of the material allows shifting of the burden of force control from the design features of the appliance to the material properties of the base material. The clinical procedures are simple not requiring any expertise. A cast model prepared from a conventional alginate impression is sent to the laboratory that fabricates the desired prosthesis. The stress distribution of the partial denture is accomplished by flexibility of the major connector, behaving as a stress-breaker. The tissue-supported saddles float on the edentulous ridge independently, without placing a stress load on the abutment teeth. In the long term, the flexibility of the complete or partial denture also appears to act as a tissue conditioner. Flexible partial dentures certainly offer advantages over conventional partials by way of superior aesthetics, better function, durable material and longevity of the prosthesis.