SIUST, College of Dentistry

Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.10

Indirect Retainers
When an individual wearing a partial denture chews a piece of sticky food,
there is a tendency for the partial denture to be displaced vertically, i.e. away
from the supporting tissue.

If there is no sufficient retention on the abutment teeth, the denture is

dislodged.

Mandibular distal extension

removable partial denture shows
distal extension base being lifted
from the ridge, the clasp assembly
being activated & engaged, with
the indirect retainer providing
stabilization against dislodgement.

When the partial denture has a free-end extension and the retention on the
abutment teeth is adequate, there is a tendency for a free-end extension to
rotate away from the tissue.

Indirect retention keeps the free-end extension in place in these

situations.

The Fulcrum line is the line about which a free-end extension partial
denture tends to rotate and is determined by joining the most distal occlusal
rests in a straight line.

-1-
SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.10

The ideal location of the indirect retainer is determined by bisecting the

fulcrum line and placing the indirect retainer as far as possible from the
fulcrum line opposite the free-end extension. However, the logical location
of the indirect retainer is often a little different from the ideal location.

E.g. the ideal position of the indirect retainer perpendicular to the

fulcrum line would be in vicinity of the central incisors, which are too
weak & have lingual surfaces that are too perpendicular to support a
rest. Bilateral rests on the first premolars are quite effective, even
though they are located closer to axis of rotation.

Indirect retainers, therefore, can be defined as that unit of the partial

denture which rests upon suitable surfaces of the teeth which are located as
far as possible from the free-end of the base, so that the movement of the
base away from the surface of the supporting tissue is resisted.

Mandibular Class II design

shows best location for
indirect retainer on mesial-
occlusal of first premolar #28.

In other words, the indirect retainer is the component of a partial denture

prosthesis that assists the direct retainers in preventing displacement of the
distal extension denture base by functioning through lever action on the
opposite side of the fulcrum line when the denture base moves away from
the tissues in pure rotation around the fulcrum line.

-2-
SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.10

Characteristic of an Indirect Retainer:

It should rest perpendicular to the long axis of the tooth.

If it does not seat perpendicular to the long axis, it may tend to

displace the tooth against which it rests.

When a lingual plate act as an indirect retainer, an occlusal rest should

be placed on the mesio-occlusal surface of first premolar.

The occlusal rest of clasp on the anterior abutment on the tooth-bound

edentulous space acts as indirect retainer.

Indirect retainer may not be necessary if a broad major connector is used on

a maxillary partial denture.

By; Noor Al-Deen M. Al-Khanati

-3-