Management of loading forces on mandibular distal-extension prostheses. Part I: Evaluation of concepts for design.

The viscoelastic reaction of ridge mucosa and abutment teeth, by virtue of their periodontal ligaments, is a necessary dimension in the evaluation of design concepts for removable partial dentures for patients with distal-extension ridges. The possible modalities are (1) removable partial dentures with flexible denture bases (stressbreakers), (2) use of a floating denture base impression technique, (3) use of a mucofunctional impression technique to relate the denture base to the framework, and (4) use of an endosseous implant. An evaluation of each modality has been made.