Partial Denture Design — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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HardProsthodonticsPartial Denture DesignORE Part 1

A patient has a lower partial denture with a free-end saddle (Kennedy Class I). Which type of connector design is most appropriate for the major connector?

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Correct answer: C — Lingual plate or sublingual bar

Explanation lettering: E = shown as A · C = shown as B · A = shown as C · B = shown as E

The correct answer is A: Lingual plate or sublingual bar. The lingual bar is the evidence-based standard major connector for mandibular Kennedy Class I dentures. It offers superior rigidity (essential for resisting functional stresses in free-end saddle designs), easier maintenance, and less tongue displacement than the lingual plate. The sublingual bar is a valid alternative when anatomy or undercuts preclude a standard lingual bar. Options B (palatal strap), C (palatal plate), and D (horseshoe connector) are all maxillary designs and anatomically impossible in a lower denture—a critical discriminator testing applied anatomy. Option E (buccal bar) is non-standard and clinically contraindicated due to esthetics and poor stability. This question tests the clinician's ability to match denture design principles to arch anatomy and Kennedy classification.

Reference: NHS Scotland Prosthodontics Curriculum: Partial Denture Design; supported by Polychronakis N, et al. (2014) and literature review in Biomechanics in Removable Partial Dentures (PMC, 2021), https://portal.scot.nhs.uk/CourseDocuments/113149/a.%20Partial%20denture%20design.pdf