NJDSR Number 2, Volume 1, January 2014 Page 38 ANTERIOR SPRING CANTILEVER FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE: A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A COMPLEX PROSTHODONTIC DILEMMA Dr. Ruchi Jain * , Dr. Kamal Shigli ** , Dr. Neeraj Sharma * , Dr. Umesh Palekar ** ABSTRACT Drifting of teeth into the edentulous area may reduce the available pontic space; whereas a diastema existing before an extraction may result in excessive mesio-distal width to the pontic space. Besides other indications, the spring cantilever bridge can solve the difficult clinical problem of providing diastema on either side of a pontic. Unlike the conventional bridges, it has a somewhat controversial design in that the anterior pontic is connected to its retainer on a posterior abutment by a relatively long flexible palatal bar. The spring cantilever may be cast from sprue wax that is circular in cross section or shaped from platinum-gold-palladium (Pt-Au- Pd) alloy wire. This article describes the procedure for the fabrication of a spring cantilever fixed partial denture to restore an excessively wide anterior edentulous space. Key words: Anterior Edentulous Space, Diastema, Palatal bar, Spring Cantilever Fixed Partial Denture. INTRODUCTION A variety of factors affecting esthetics may motivate a patient to seek prosthodontic treatment. [1] The spring cantilever bridge has a somewhat different design from other conventional bridges. Instead of being directly connected to its retainer(s) as in fixed-fixed, fixed-movable or cantilever bridges, it comprises of a pontic which is connected to its retainer by a relatively long flexible palatal connector bar. In short, the spring bridge resembles the cantilever bridge in that it is fixed on only one end; therefore the name 'spring cantilever bridge'. The spring bridge is essentially tissue-supported but abutment tooth-retained. Thus, forces of mastication *Senior Lecturer, ** Professor, Department of Prosthodontics , Modern Dental College & Research Centre, Indore acting on the pontic are absorbed by the supporting palatal mucoperiosteum and completely dissipitated before they reach the abutment tooth which merely acts to retain the bridge in place. [2] CASE REPORT A 41-year-old female patient reported to the Department of Prosthodontics, with a chief complaint of replacement of missing teeth in upper right front region. On oral examination right maxillary central incisor was missing and the edentulous space was large (Fig.1). Fig 1: Preoperative