REAKING A STRESS AROUND A PIER ABUTMENT – A CASE REPORT

Dr. Shivam Katyal*, Dr. Eram Khan and Dr. Akrant Mehra

ABSTRACT

Rigid connectors between pontics and retainers are mostly preferred in fabrication of fixed dental prosthesis. However, a completely rigid restoration might not be a successful option for all situations during replacing of missing teeth. An edentulous space can occur on either side of a tooth, creating a single, freestanding pier abutment. In this situation, a non-rigid connector is preferred. Non rigid connector helps in distribution of shear stresses evenly to supporting bone & permits the abutments to move independently. It acts as stress breaker between retainer and pontic, preventing the pier abutment from becoming the fulcrum. This case report describes importance and method of incorporating non-rigid connector during management of pier abutment.

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