Bite Force and Bone Height Changes around Abutments Retaining Mandibular Removable Partial Denture with Wrought Wire and Polyamide Clasps: Split Mouth Study

Objectives: This research highlights on the effect of polyamide clasp on the bone height changes of the abutment teeth and the bite force change comparing to conventional wrought wire clasp in a split mouth study.
Materials and Methods: This split mouth research was carried out on 14 partially edentulous participants with mean age (61.14) year. For every participant, a resin bilateral distal extension removable partial denture was constructed to be retained by a wrought wire clasp on one side and a polyamide clasp on the other. Standardized digital periapical radiograph was used to evaluate the abutment alveolar bone height change after 12 and, 18 months from denture insertion. Bite force transducer was used to measure the bite force for both clasp types sides at insertion and after 18 month of follow up.
Results: At comparing bone height change after insertion with the baseline, there was a significant increase in the bone resorption with the polyamide clasp after 18 month in mesial and distal aspect (p= 0.01 and 0.04 respectively); and after 12 month at mesial side (p=0.01). There is also a significant difference in bone height change around abutments carry both clasp types at 12 and 18 months in distal side (p= 0.03 and 0.001 respectively); and in the mesial side (p= 0.02 and 0.01 respectively). The evaluation of the bite force revealed significant difference between measurements at time of insertion and 18 months of for polyamide and wrought clasp sides (p= 0.02 and 0.043 respectively).
Conclusion: This study results illustrated that both types of clasps were appropriate to be used with the acrylic removable partial denture as their influence on the abutment alveolar bone resorption is within the acceptable range of bone resorption. While there is a nonrelated-clasp type improvement in bite force.