Rests & Rest Seats- CHAPTER2

Chapter 2
Rests & Rest Seats

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 Rests & Rest Seats- CHAPTER2

Rest

Any unit of a partial denture that rests on a tooth surface to provide vertical
support is called a rest.

It is a rigid component resting in a recessed preparation on the occlusal,

lingual or incisal surface.

Rest Seat
A preparation on the surface of a tooth or on a cast restoration that receives an
occlusal, cingulum or incisal rest.

Any rest placed on an unprepared tooth surface will interfere with the
opposing dentition during occlusion and will be subjected to slippage along
tooth inclines, also it will not transmit the occlusal forces along the long axis
of the tooth.

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Rests may be classified ((according to its relation to the direct retainer))

into:
(1) Primary rest:
A primary rest is a component part of direct retainer (clasp). It prevents
vertical movement of the prosthesis toward the tissues and helps to transmit
forces to the supporting teeth.
(Rest seat floor should be concave or spoon shaped (to provide ball & socket
joint)
A. Prevents horizontal stresses & torque (increase with
box form)
B. Directs the occlusal forces along the long axis of the
tooth and prevent orthodontic movement

1. “Positive” Rest Seats

• An explorer tip will not slide off the rest seat

2. Adjacent Tooth
A. Rest not flared to facial line angle
B. Lingual flared more - space for minor
connector

3. Rest seats may be prepared in either a box-shaped or saucer –shaped

form.
 Box-shaped rest seats: have vertical walls and flat floor. They are used
in bounded cases having strong healthy abutments (class III).
 Saucer-shaped rest seats: preparation have concave, spoon or saucer
shaped form to prevent locking of the occlusal rest and transmission of
lateral and tipping forces to the abutment. They are used in free end saddle
cases and bounded cases having weak abutments.

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Requirements of an ideal occlusal rest:

1. The occlusal rest must adequately fit the occlusal rest seat to minimize the
food collection it beneath it.
2. The occlusal rest should have sufficient thickness of metal specially, over
the marginal ridges, at the junction of the occlusal rest and the minor
connector in order to withstand the loads without deformation and breakage.
3. The occlusal rests may be placed on sound enamel, cast restoration or rarely
sliver amalgam alloy restorations. Rests placed on sound enamel are not
conductive to caries in a mouth with a low caries index, provided that good
oral hygiene is maintained. The use of a silver amalgam alloy restoration as
support for an occlusal rest is the least desirable because of its tendency to
flow under pressure and poor tensile characteristics of amalgam increase the
probability of restoration failure
Retreatment may require restoration of the abutment as well as fabrication
of new RPD. This is both costly and inefficient and should be avoided thus
replaced by a cast restoration when a metal restoration (inaly, onlay, or crown)
is planned for an abutment tooth the wax pattern for the restoration must be
shaped to properly receive the removable partial denture. The rest seat must
be carved in the wax pattern of restoration and refined in the cast gold before
the restoration is seated in the mouth.
4. The angle formed by the occlusal rest and the vertical minor connector
should be less than 90° so that the transmitted occlusal forces are directed
toward the long axis of the tooth.
5. In bounded base partial dentures: Occlusal rests are placed on the near zone
of the occlusal surface of the two abutments bounding the edentulous span.
6. In free-end base partial dentures: The occlusal rest is placed on the far zone
of the occlusal surface of the abutment in order to change the direction of
torque action to the side of the tooth away from the edentulous area. Forces
will thus be reciprocated by the remaining natural teeth.
7. It must not raise the vertical dimension of occlusion (premature contact)

Functions of occlusal rest:

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1. Occlusal rest prevents tissue-ward movement of the prosthesis (support).

Hence, the main function of occlusal rest is to provide support to the partial
denture what prevents settling of the partial denture towards the underlying
tissues, and will:
a- Preserves the relationship of the partial denture to the opposing teeth.
b - Prevents impingement of the gingival tissues adjacent to the abutment
teeth and gum stripping.
A partial denture without properly placed occlusal rests is called “Gum
stripper"
c– Maintains the components of partial dentures in their planned positions
(i-e). Maintain the retentive clasp in its proper position If the clasp is not
supported it will lose its ability to retain the prosthesis in its intended
position.

If there was no rest the

components would move
apically and impinge the soft
1- gle of anterior teeth. tissue

2- They are more commonly used on lower teeth due

to lack of space on their lingual surfaces for placing
adequate cingulum rests.

3- They are less frequently on maxillary canines and incisor teeth. They are
less desirable than cingulum (lingual) rests and are more vulnerable to
breakage and distortion.
4- The incisal rest seat is a saddle-shaped preparation, 2.5mm wide and 1.5mm
deep.

5- It must extend to the labial surface to prevent the tooth from moving
labially. And the notch should be beveled both labially and lingually

The Lingual Rest Is Preferable to an Incisal Rest

1. Placed Closer to the Center of Rotation of the Abutment Tooth

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2. More Esthetic
3. Less Bothersome to a Curious Tongue

Post Is More
Readily Removed
by Application of
Force near Its Top
than by Applying
Same Force Nearer
Ground Level

N.B: Whereas the most preferred site for a rest, is the occlusal surface of a
molar and premolar. If anterior tooth is the only abutment available, a canine
is preferred over an incisor. In the absence of canine multiple lingual rests are
prepared on anterior teeth.

Other Rest Forms

Embrasure Hook
Placed in embrasures between teeth extending over the buccal or labial
surface but never extend below the survey line.
Provides:
1. Support
2. Splinting of Natural Teeth
3. Resistance to Lateral and Anterioposterior Movement
4. Act As Indirect Retainer

Disadvantages:
Poor esthetics and wedging action on teeth leading to separation of teeth

Onlay:
It is an extended occlusal rest which covers the whole occlusal surface and
extends to the labial or buccal surface of the tooth above the height of contour.
They may be cast gold or chrome cobalt alloy.
Functions of Onlay:
1) Provide partial denture support.

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2) Help in increasing the reduced vertical dimension of occlusion.

3) An Onlay could be constructed with reduced cusp angles in order to
reduce the lateral component of force transmitted to the abutment teeth.
4) Splinting: Onlay can be constructed on multiple abutment and joined
together during casting to help in splinting periodontally weak teeth.

PREFERRED MATERIALS FOR REST PREPARATIONS

1. Enamel and cast metal are ideal materials for rest preparations.
2. Porcelain is less desirable because of its propensity to fracture.
3. Rest preparations may be prepared as an economic necessity in amalgam
but the flow and low yield strength of amalgam and the possibility of recurrent
caries and fracture of the tooth and/or restoration make amalgam an
undesirable material for a rest preparation.
4. Dentin is an undesirable material for a rest preparation because of its low
abrasion resistance and propensity for caries.
5. Conventional and resin composite are unacceptable materials for rest
preparations because of their low yield strength and low abrasion resistance.

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