In Vitro Wear of Different Material Combinations of Intracoronal Precision Attachments

Purpose: This study examined the retentive forces of intracoronal precision attachments after wear cycling. Materials and Methods: Three material combinations of an intracoronal cylindric T-attachment were tested. A total of 10,000 separating and joining movements were performed, and retentive forces were measured. Results: Components made of gold alloy performed significantly better (P = .002) than other materials. The average proportional loss of retention was 90% for titanium and 47% for gold alloy components. Conclusion: Cyclic loading of metal precision attachment components results in loss of retention, which can be fully compensated by reactivating internal screws in the patrices. Machined, high-noble gold alloys show less wear than other materials.