The flexibility of titanium clasps compared with cobalt-chromium clasps.

Retention of a partial denture depends on the amount of undercut engaged on an abutment tooth and the flexibility of the clasp. Flexibility is influenced by clasp length and the denture base material. Titanium clasps are purported to have greater flexibility than cobalt-chromium cast clasps which should enable them to engage deeper undercuts or be used where shorter clasp arms are needed such as on premolar teeth. This study investigated the flexibility of cast titanium clasps with three commonly used cobalt-chromium clasps through comparative measurements of their tip deflections and yield strengths. The results showed that the titanium clasps were significantly (P < 0.05) more flexible than the cobalt-chromium clasps. However, all four materials were found to be flexible enough to engage an undercut of 0.25 mm without exceeding their yield strengths.