The evaluation of selected attachment systems for implant-retained overdenture based on retention characteristics analysis

The results of mechanical characteristics of attachments used for retaining and stabilizing overdenture have been analysed. Two commercially used attachments (a ball attachment and a bar attachment) and elastic frictional attachments designed by the research team with Professor Chladek as the leader have been investigated. The diagrams of force-displacement characteristics have been registered. Retention forces (F_R) have been determined and total work (W_T) disconnecting the attachments has been calculated on the basis of these diagrams. The analysis of total work corresponding to different types of attachments made it possible to distinguish some characteristic areas which illustrate specific features of particular designs. It has been revealed that determining the retention force allows us to compare only the attachments which work on similar bases. In order to conduct a purely objective comparison of the efficiency of different designs, it is necessary to analyze complete force-displacement characteristics as well as to determine on this basis the subsequent phases of separating the parts of attachments and to find the value of the work which in fact determines their quality. The comparison of selected commercially used designs and the presented elastic frictional attachments (taking into account the criterion of work) gives clear evidence that the introduced design of attachment enables us to create very good conditions of retaining overdenture.