adams clasp

Question 1

construction

Answer 1

0.7mm stainless steel round hard wire for permanent teeth

0.6mm stainless steel round hard wire can be used for deciduous or newly erupted premolars.

Question 2

adams clasp history

Answer 2

was developed by C. Philip Adams and was first demonstrated in 1950 and has now become the most widely used retentive component part in the construction of Orthodontic removable appliances.

Question 3

what does adams clasp utilise

Answer 3

utilises the mesial and distal undercuts of the buccal aspect of teeth, the clasp is made to fit below these undercuts to grip the teeth so that displacement of the appliance is resisted.

Question 4

advantages of adams clasp

Answer 4

The clasp is small, neat, and unobtrusive, and takes only a limited amount of space in the buccal sulcus and in the acrylic baseplate.

The clasp can be used almost on any tooth, deciduous or permanent.

A tooth that has not yet fully erupted can be clasped.

The clasp is highly versatile and can be modified in a number of ways depending on the circumstances.

The clasp is highly retentive if correctly constructed.

Its bridge provides a site to which the patient can apply pressure with the fingertips during the removal of the appliance.

Auxiliary springs can be soldered to the bridge of the clasp

Hooks can be soldered to the clasp or bent in during its construction to accept inter-maxillary traction.

Tubes can be soldered to the bridge of the clasp to accommodate a facebow for extra-oral traction.

Question 5

adjustment adams clasp

Answer 5

well constructed Adams Clasp should require little adjustment and supply excellent retention and resistance to the displacing forces to which it is subjected to.

occasionally adjustments may be required if the clasp is not correctly engaging the tooth.

Question 6

check list for adams clasp

Answer 6

1. Arrowheads must engage mesial and distal undercuts except when the tooth is rotated.
2. The bridge of the clasp stands clear of the tooth at approximately 45 degrees to the crown.
3. Arrowheads are parallel.
4. Arrowheads should be 45 degrees to tooth surface.
5. Arrowheads must not touch adjoining teeth.
6. Bridge should not protrude above the occlusal surface.
7. The wire (Flyover) fits closely over the contact areas. N.B. if there is no adjacent tooth present the flyover must cross above the contact area.
8. There should be clearance of 0.5mm-1.0mm between the wire and tissue in the palate.
9. There must be tags present at the ends of the wire to supply addition mechanical retention within the baseplate.
10. The gingival margin of any models should only be trimmed if the tooth present has not fully erupted.