In dentistry, precision attachments are the functional mechanical parts of the removable partial denture made of plastic, metal or a combination of both. They consist of two parts referred as the 'male' part that is fixed to a crown inside the patient's mouth and a 'female' part which holds the partial denture. The patient can insert and remove the partial dentures and the aim of the precision attachment is to give the patient maximum comfort and ease while wearing, inserting or removing.
What we like most about the attachment is its esthetic advantage. It has always been a challenge to match a porcelain restoration to the adjacent denture tooth on the partial denture. The limited space required for the slide attachment allows us to create a porcelain fused to metal crown over the removable portion of the attachment and laser weld it to the partial denture. Now, in the esthetic zone, both the crown and the first toooth in the partial are the same material and will match perfectly in both shade and texture.
If you have partial dentures that are loose, ill fitting or are cosmetically poor but don’t want the cost of dental implants, this is an excellent alternative.
Precision attachments are used for:
*Fixed-movable bridge design
*Partial dentures. Precision attachments can provide support, stability and retention. The main reason for having precision attachments is for aesthetic reasons as they have no clasps.
Advantages
*Elimination of unaesthetic clasp
*Better force distribution to supporting teeth
*Stops denture from moving side to side or up and down
*Reduces food impaction, plaque and decay
*Improved comfort and chewing efficiency
These provide support, stability and retention. In a patient who only has a few worn remaining teeth, it is imperative to keep the roots and fit the precision attachments to the top of them so that the dentures can be clipped on and off.