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Abstract
Long-span fixed partial dentures usually require splinting of multiple abutments to
overcome mechanical problems associated with the long edentulous span. Most information
and indications for the use of multiple splinted abutments have been empirically derived.
This study analyzed the stress levels in the teeth and supporting structures of a
fixed prosthesis and ascertained how the addition of multiple abutments in a fixed
prosthesis modifies the stresses and their deflection.
The finite element method was used to analyze mechanical behaviors of a prosthesis
and its supporting structures when a fixed prosthesis with several designs replaced
a mandibular second premolar and a first molar. Variations of the standard finite
element model were made by changing the number of splinted teeth and the level of
bone support.
A reduction of stress and deflection was observed in the supporting structures when
a fixed partial denture was fabricated and teeth were splinted together. Increasing
the number of splinted abutments did not reveal a proportional reduction of stress
in the periodontium. Stress concentrations were seen in the connectors of prosthesis
and in the cervical dentin area near the edentulous ridge.
Increasing the number of the splinted abutment did not compensate for the mechanical
problems of a long-span fixed partial denture sufficiently.