1. Dr Kaushal Kishor Agrawal Department of Prosthodontics
Minor Connectors
Dr Kaushal Kishor Agrawal
Assistant Professor
Department of Prosthodontics
KGMU , Lucknow

2. Minor Connectors Connects components to the major connector
Direct retainer
Indirect retainer
Denture base

3. Functions of Minor Connectors
Unification and rigidity
Stress distribution
Bracing through contact with guiding planes
Maintain a path of insertion

4. Types of Minor Connectors
Embrasure Minor Connectors
Between two adjacent teeth

5. Types of Minor Connectors
Embrasure Minor Connectors
Triangular shaped in cross section
Joins major connector at right angles
Relief placed so connector not directly on soft tissue

6. Types of Minor Connectors
Embrasure Minor Connectors
Contact teeth above height of contour
Prevents wedging & tooth mobility
Alternatively, difficult to seat

7. Gridwork Minor Connectors
Connect the denture base and teeth to the major connector

8. Gridwork Minor Connectors
Adjacent edentulous spaces
Usually connect major connector to direct retainers
Open lattice work or mesh types

9. Gridwork Minor Connectors
Mesh type
Flatter
Potentially more rigid
Less retention for acrylic if openings are small

10. Gridwork Minor Connectors
Lattice Type
Potentially superior retention
Interferes with setting of teeth, if struts are too thick
Both types are acceptable if correctly designed

11. Gridwork Relief Mechanical retention of denture base resin
Allows the acrylic resin to flow under the gridwork

12. Gridwork Relief Relief wax is placed in the edentulous areas
1 mm of relief

13. Relief Under the Gridwork
Should begin mm from the abutment tooth

14. Relief Under the Gridwork
Creates a metal to tissue contact adjacent tooth
Preferable since it wears less
Less porous, (hygiene)

15. Junction With Major Connector
Butt joint with slight undercut in metal
Maximum bulk of the acrylic resin
Prevents thin, weak edges fracturing

16. Mandibular Gridwork Design
Extend 2/3 of the way from abutment tooth to retromolar pad
Never on the ascending portion of the ridge
Stewart's, Fig. 2-55

17. Maxillary Gridwork Design
2/3 of the length of from abutment to the hamular notch
Major connector
extends fully to the hamular notch

18. Facially just over the crest of the residual ridge
Gridwork Design
Facially just over the crest of the residual ridge

19. Position of Major Connector Junction
Should be ≈ 2 mm medial to lingual surface of denture teeth
Ensures bulk of resin around teeth

20. Mandibular Tissue Stops
Contact of metal with cast at posterior of distal extension gridwork
Prevents distortion at free end during hydraulic pressure of processing

21. No Tissue Stops In Maxilla
Maxillary major connector acts as a tissue stop (no relief)

22. Proximal Plates
Minor connectors originating from the gridwork in an edentulous area
Broad contact with guiding planes
May or may not terminate in an occlusal rest

23. Proximal Plates

24. Proximal Plates Shifted slightly lingually
Increases rigidity
Enhances reciprocation
Improves esthetics
Often a triangular space below the guiding plane (an undercut)

25. Proximal Plates Rigid, cannot be placed in undercut
Block-out placed in undercuts prior to waxing and casting the framework

26. Zero Degree Block-Out Does not deviate from path of insertion
Instructions to the laboratory should state “Use zero degree blockout”

27. Q1: Which is not function of Minnor
Connector
1. Unification and rigidity
2. Stress distribution
3. Bracing through contact with guiding
planes
4. Retention of RPD

28. Q2: Minnor Connector should join major connector at an angle of 1
Q2: Minnor Connector should join major connector at an angle of degree 2. > 90 degree 3. < 90 degree 4. At any angle

29. Q3: Embrasure minor connector should be 1. Triangular 2. Rectangular 3
Q3: Embrasure minor connector should be 1. Triangular 2. Rectangular 3. Square 4. Linear

30. Q4: Which Gridwork minor connector connector commonly interfer with setting of teeth 1. Mesh work 2. Lattice Work 3. Bead type 4. Both Mesh and lattice work

31. Q5: Which part of Maxillary cast R PD framework act as tissue stop 1
Q5: Which part of Maxillary cast R PD framework act as tissue stop 1. Major connector 2. Minor connector 3. Direct retainet 4. Occlusal rest

32. Q6: Which is not true for Mandibular Grid work framework
1. Extend 2/3 of the way from abutment
tooth to retromolar pad
2. Never on the ascending portion of the
ridge
3. Always cover retromolar pad
4. Need for tissue stops

33. Q8: Proximal plate is shifted Shifted slightly lingually to
1. Increases rigidity
2. Enhances reciprocation
3. Improves esthetics
4. All of above

34. Q9: Gridwork minnor connector
1.Connect the denture base and teeth to the major connector
2. Connect the denture base and teeth to the Occlusal rest
3. Connect the major connnector to the direct retainer
4.All of above

35. Q10. Function of tissue stop
1. Prevents distortion at free end during hydraulic pressure of processing
2. It compromises the shrinkage in resin
3.It provide rigidity to denture framework
4. All of above