AMOUNT OF BONE LOSS AND DIGITAL OCCLUSAL ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT ATTACHMENT DESIGNS IN BILATERAL DISTAL EXTENSION PARTIAL DENTURE CASES

Background: OT unilateral extra-coronal attachmentconsidered as one of the best choices for distal extension partially edentulous cases. Aim: Comparing OT unilateral extra-coronal attachment with modified OT unilateral extra-coronal attachment RPDs with bracing arm regardingamount of bone loss and occlusal load (using T-scan system). Methods: Ten patients have missing bilateral mandibular molars teeth were treated according to split-mouth design using protocol A (OT unilateral extra-coronal attachment) and protocol B (modified OT unilateral extra-coronal attachment with a bracing arm). Amount of bone loss was evaluated radiographically at time of denture insertion, 3months, 6month, 9months, 12month and 18 months after denture delivery to measure the bone height changes. Also, occlusal load was evaluated using T-scanner (Digital occlusal analysis). Results: Regarding bone loss: Protocol B was significantly lower than protocol A after 6 and 12 months, while in occlusal load analysis Protocol B was insignificantly lower than protocol A. Conclusion: Less vertical bone height resorption and less occlusal forces in bracing side (OT unilateral extra-coronal attachment RPDs with a bracing arm) when compared with the non-bracing side.