In our fast paced and upwardly mobile society, patients will see a dentist for two main reasons: discomfort and / or esthetics.
The dental professional must be able to relate to the patient's concerns, both physically and psychologically.
Attachments provide a very important psychological union in treating a patient as a whole and not merely as a disease.
Just as patient's needs differ, so do attachments. It is important to realize no attachment is perfect for every application.
Five Factors
To properly select, attach five factors should be considered and evaluated.
- Location (intracoronal or extracoronal)
- Function (solid, rigid and resilient)
- Retention (frictional, mechanical)
- Space (Buccal - lingual, mesial - distal + vertical space.)
- Cost