Minor Connectors

Dr Kaushal Kishor Agrawal

Assistant Professor
Department of Prosthodontics
KGMU , Lucknow

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

Functions of Minor Connectors

Unification and rigidity
Stress distribution
Bracing through contact
with guiding planes
Maintain a path of
insertion

Types of Minor Connectors

Embrasure Minor Connectors
Between two adjacent teeth

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

Types of Minor Connectors

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

Gridwork Minor Connectors

Connect the denture base and teeth
to the major connector

Gridwork Minor Connectors

Adjacent edentulous spaces
Usually connect major connector to
direct retainers
Open lattice work or mesh types

Gridwork Minor Connectors

Mesh type
Flatter
Potentially more rigid
Less retention for acrylic
if openings are small

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

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

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

Relief Under the Gridwork

Should begin 1.5 - 2 mm
from the abutment tooth

Relief Under the Gridwork

Creates a metal to tissue contact
adjacent tooth
Preferable since it wears less
Less porous, (hygiene)

Junction With Major Connector

Butt joint with slight undercut in metal
Maximum bulk of the acrylic resin
Prevents thin, weak edges fracturing
edentulous ridge

major connector

butt joint

slight undercut

incorrect (>90 joint)

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. 255

Maxillary Gridwork Design

Gridwork
2/3 of the length of
from abutment to the
hamular notch

Major connector
extends fully to the
hamular notch

Gridwork Design

Facially just over the crest

of the residual ridge

Position of Major Connector Junction

Should be 2 mm medial to lingual
surface of denture teeth
Ensures bulk of resin around teeth

Mandibular Tissue Stops

Contact of metal with
cast at posterior of
distal extension
gridwork
Prevents distortion at
free end during
hydraulic pressure of
processing

No Tissue Stops In Maxilla

Maxillary major
connector acts as a
tissue stop (no relief)

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

Proximal Plates

Proximal Plates
Shifted slightly lingually
Increases rigidity
Enhances reciprocation
Improves esthetics

Often a triangular space below the

guiding plane (an undercut)

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

Zero Degree Block-Out

Does not deviate from path of insertion
Instructions to the laboratory should
state Use zero degree blockout

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

Q2: Minnor Connector should join major

connector at an angle of
1. 90 degree
2. > 90 degree
3. < 90 degree
4. At any angle

Q3: Embrasure minor connector should be

1. Triangular
2. Rectangular
3. Square
4. Linear

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

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

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

Q8: Proximal plate is shifted Shifted slightly

lingually to
1. Increases rigidity
2. Enhances reciprocation
3. Improves esthetics
4. All of above

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

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