-:Rest and Rest Seats:-

CHARMI PATEL (53)

3rd YEAR BDS
D BATCH
 Definition of Rest :-
 Rest is defined as ,” A rigid extension of a
fixed or removable partial denture which
contacts a remaining tooth or teeth to
dissipate vertical or horizontal forces.”
------------ GPT.

 Definition of Rest Seat :-

 It is defined as ,”That portion of a natural
tooth or a cast restoration of a tooth
selected or prepared to receive can occlusal
,incisal ,lingual ,internal or semi precision
rest .”
------- GPT.

 General consideration:-
 The rests act as a vertical stop to
perment injury to soft tissue under
partial denture.
 It helps to hold clasp assembly in portion
.
 A longer occlusal onlay rest can be
contoured to re-establish the occlusal
plane of a tilted abutment tooth .
  These should be slight movement within
the rest seat (like ball and socket joint )
to dissipate horizontal forces and
protect the abutment teeth .
 Rests should be placed on the proximal
surfaces of all the teeth adjacent the
edentulous space .Ideally ,the rest
should be aligned to the crest of the
edentulous ridge but this may not be
possible in rotated teeth .
 It the edentulous space has decreased
due to drifting ,a metal pontic can be
placed in this space using two occlusal
rests .
 A rest and a properly positioned minor
connecter can be used for
reciprocation.
---- Mc CRACKEN’S.

 Classification of rests:-
 Rest can be classified as:-
 Based on the relation of the rest to
the direct retainer.
 Based on the location of the rest .
 Based on the shape and structure
of the rest .
 --- NALLASWAMY.

 Based on the relation of the rest

to the direct retainer :-

 Retainer based on the relation of the rest to the

relation of the rest to the direct retainer ,they
can be classified as primary or secondary.
 Rests that are placed along with the clasp
assembly are called
primary rests and the
ones placed for indirect
retansion ,separately away
from the clasp are called
secondary or auxiliary rests
.
 Auxiliary rests are usually
placed where the
perpendicular
drawn from the midpoint of
the terminal
abutment axis meets the
dentition .The auxiliary
 rests are connector by a minor connecter produce
indirect retention .Apart from vertical support,the
primary rests are used for direct retention and
secondary rests are used for indirect retention.
 Secondary rests are are also known as auxiliary
rests .They are not similar to primary rests.
---- Nallaswamy.

 Based on the position of the rest

on the abutment :-
 Based on the position of the rest on the
abutment it can be classified as:-

A. Occlusal rest:-
 Placed on occlusal surface of a posterior
tooth.
B. Lingulum or lingual rest:-
 Placed on the lingual surface of a tooth
,especially in a maxillary canines .

C. Incisal rest:-
 Placed on the incisal edge of a tooth
,usually in a mandibular canine and incisor .

 The morphology of any rest should be such that it

restores the tooth from that existed before the rest seat
 preparation .Now we shall discuss in detail about the
structure function and design of each rest .

1) Occlusalrest and rest seat:-

 An occlusal rest can be defined as ,”A rigid
extension of a partial denture which contacts
the occlusal surface of the tooth .”
----- STEWART.
o Functions of an occlusalrest :-
 Transmit stress along the long axcis of the
tooth.
 Secure the clasp in a proper position and
maintain the tooth clasp relationship .
 Prevent spreacling of the clasp arms and
subsequent displacement of the clasp and
the prosthesis .
 Assist in distribution of occlusalload .
 Prevent extrusion of the abutment .
 Avoid plunging of food between the tooth
and the clasp .
 Provide resistance to lateral displacement .
 Sometimes contributes to indirect retention .
 Used to close small spaces wheres tooth
replacement cannot be placed .
 Helps to build up the occlusal plane of a
tilted tooth .
o Design considerations :-

 The occlusal rest seat is a triangular shaped

depression with its base at the marginal ridge
and apax at the center of the tooth .Its
margins should be smooth and gently
connect.
 It should follow the contour of the mesial or
distal marginal ridge and the triangular fossa.
 The size of the occlusal rest should be :-
a) One half the buccolingual width
between the cusp tip.
b) One third to one half the
 mesiodistal width of the tooth.
 The angle between the line drawn along the
proximal surface of tooth and the floor of the
rest seat should be less than 90 degree.
 The rest seats can be prepared on restoration
like cast gold and amalgam .
 Rest seats on amalgam can be used only for
interim or temprorypartical dentures .The
restoration may tend to fracture it the rest
seat is used for a permanent denture .
 Cast gold (inlay ,onlay,crown) restoration can
be abutment youth can be used to prepare
rest seats for a permanent prosthesis .
---- NALLASWAMY.

2) Lingual or cingulam rest and rest

seats :-
 This may also produse orthodontics
movement of the abutment tooth beading
to pain and bone loss .
 Improper preparation at the marginal
ridge can predispose to fracture .The rest
seat should be 0.5mm thick at its thinnest
portion and 1.0-1.5mm thick where it
crosses marginal ridge .
 As the name indicates ,these rests are
prepared on the lingual surface as above
 the cingulam of the anterior teeth and the
canine .
 They are usually fabricated maxillary
canines .
 A cingulam rest cannot be prepared in
mandibular canines due to the inadequate
thickness of enamel .
 They are better than incisal rests because
they transfer the occlusal forces along the
long axis of the tooth .
 Lingual rests may be used on incisor only
when the canines are missing as the
incisors have reduced alveolar support
,multipleincisal rests are often used . An
occlusal rest placed on the mesialfossa of
a premolar is better and preferred than a
lingual rest on the anterior .
 Lingual rests are nearer to the center of
rotation of the tooth .Hence,they help to
avoid tipping of the abutment .
 Cingulum rests are preferred to incisal
rests because they are situated nearer the
center of the tooth and leverage forces are
less .They are also more esthetic and
durable as they are resistant to breakage
and distortion .
 The outline form is half –moon shaped
extending as a smooth curve from one
margial ridge to the tooth incisal (above)
 to the cingulum
.The line angles
should be
rounded .The rest
seat is “v” or
boomerang
shaped .

o Design consideration :-
 A cingulam rest seat should have the following
characteristics :-

- 2.5-3mm mesiodistallength .
- 2mm labiolingual width.
- 1.5mm deep .
- The apex of the ‘v’is directed incisally .
- If they are prepared can crowns the rest seat should be
prepared in the wax pattern itself .
- The wax pattern should have an accenturatedcingulum
to facilitate preparation .

o Indications for lingual rest :-

 Lingual rest seat preparation an the enamel is
prepared only if :-
 - Cingulam is prominent .
- The patient practices good oral hygiene .
- The caries index is low.
--- Mc CRACKEN’S.

3) Incisal rests
and rest seats :-
 Incisal rests are less
desirable than lingual
rests .
 It is usually prepared an
sound teeth especially
the caniner .It incisors
are used ,multiple
rests are required for
better stability and
protection to the
abutments .

 Incisal rests are mainly used as indirect retainer

(auxiliary rests) .
 They are placed an mesioincisal or distoinsical
angle of the tooth depending can the type of clasp
 designed . If clasp is not to be placed
,thedistoincisal angle is preferred for aesthetics .
 They rest seat I a ‘v”shaped notch located on the
incisal edge of the anterior teeth .It is prepared on
the incisal edge 1.5-2mm away from the
proximoinsial angle .
 The rest seat should be 2.5mm wide and 1.5mm
deep .The depost part of preparation should be
towards the long axis of the tooth mesiodistally the
notch should be smooth .
 The rest seat should extend into the facial surface
to act as a locking device .this avoids the tipping
movement of the tooth .
 In prosthetic mouth preparation ,preaparation of
rest is there .
---- Mc CRACKEN’S.

 Rest seat preparation should be done along with other

mouth preparation procedures prior to making the
master impression.
 The location, position and extent of the rest seat is
determined using a surveyor on a diagnostic cast.
 The procedure for rest seat preparation is different for
enamel and for other restorations.
--------Stewart.
 1) On Enamel :--

 Rest seat preparation in sound enamel should always

follow the recountouring of proximal surfaces because
the amount of proximal reduction can change the site of
the occlusal rest.
 For all distal extension removable partial dentures,
the rest is preferably placed on the mesisl side so that
it is able to transmit occlusal forces to abutment teeth
in a vertical direction and thereby reduce the stress to
the abutment tooth.
 A depth orientation groove is drawn along the desired
outline form to create an island of enamel.
 The island of enamel is removed using the same bur
used to make the depth
orientation grooves.
 Red beading wax or utility
wax can be used to check
for occlusal clearance.
 Sharp line angles are
rounded with a no.4 round
steel bur.
 Margins are also relieved by
 removing unsupported enamel.
 The rest seat preparation must be highly polished.
------- Mc
Cracken's.

2) On New Gold Restorations :--

 The term new gold restorations denotes the preparation
of a fresh restoration along with the rest.
 Sufficient occlusal clearance must be present to
accommodate the rest seat and the gold restoration.
  After tooth preparation for the gold restoration, an
additional depression is made on the prepared tooth
surface.
 The rest seat is prepared on the wax pattern after
carving the guide planes.
 Rest seat preparation is done using no.4 round steel bur
in a slow speed hand piece with the light pressure.
 Remember that seat preparation is done on the wax
pattern of the gold restoration.
 The rest seat preparation is polished using a small round
finishing bur.
 Later the pattern is cast as usual.
------ Mc Cracken's.

3) On existing Gold Restorations :--

 Here, the rest seats are directly prepared on existing
Gold Restorations.
 Rest seats should not be prepared on the restortions
with poor marginal integrity and poor occlusal harmony.
 If restoration is not thick enough to accommodate the
rest, a new restoration should be made.
 Procedure is similar to the one described for enamel.
------ Nallaswamy.
4) On Amalgam Restoration :--
 They are least preferred.
 Occlusal rest are not prepared on mutisurface constant
pressure.
 The junction between the proximal portion and isthmus
of the restortions may be weakened as the restoration
may fracture.
 No.4 round bur is used instead of diamond stone.
 Procedure is similar to that of an enamel.
----- Mc Cracken's.

5) Rest seat preparation for embrasure

clasp :--
  Embrasure clasp are two clasps fused at the body to fit
into a single embrasure.

 Rest seats for such clasps should be prepared on the

mesial and distal fossae of two approximately
posterior
teeth.
 The speciality of
the preparation is
that the marginal
ridges are also
reduced for
better strength of
the clasp.
---- Stewart.

6) Cingulum Rest seat preparation :--

 It is of two types:-
 Cingulum Rest seat preparation in cast restoration.
 Lingual rest seat preparation on enamel.
* CingulumRest seat preparation in cast restoration :-
-
 Cingulum rest seats on cast restoration can be used for
all maxillary and mandibular anteriors.
 Rest seats prepared on cast restoration are preferred to
those prepared on enamel.

 They are prepared on the wax

pattern similar to the
procedure for
preparing
restoration.
 It is similar to the occlusal rest
preparation.
* Lingual rest seat preparation
on enamel :--
 A lingual rest seat can be
prepared on maxillary canines
and certain mandibular
incisors.
 Lingual rest seat preparation
on the lower anteriors is done only when:--
o The tooth is sound.
 o The patient has good oral hygiene and a low caries
index.
o The prominent Cingulum must be present and the
lingual surface must have a gradual slope.
----- Nallaswamy.

7) Incisal Rest seat preparation :--

 They are prepared on the distoincisal angle or on the
mesioincisal angle.
 A small safe sided diamond disk or knife edged stone is
used to carryout tooth reduction.
 A cutting instrument should be held parallel to the path
of insertion.
 A vertical cut about 1.5-2mm deep and 2 - 3mm away
from the proximal angle along the incisal edge is made.
 The notches are rounded. Unsupported enamel
proximal to the notch is slightly reduced. The enamel
wall near the center of the tooth is rounded.
 A flame shaped diamond point is used for finishing.
------ Nallaswamy.

 Thus, rest and rest seats are

very important in dentistry..
-: Thank You :-