INBDE (Integrated National Board Dental Examination) Practice Exam

What does a minor connector provide?

1. Support

2. Stability

3. Retention

4. Protection

The correct answer is: Stability

A minor connector in a dental prosthesis serves to connect the major connector to the other components of the removable partial denture, such as the denture base and the direct retainers. The primary function of a minor connector is to provide stability to the partial denture by resisting rotational and torsional forces during function. This stability helps in distributing the occlusal forces evenly and prevents the denture from moving excessively during mastication. Therefore, the correct answer is stability. Support, retention, and protection are important aspects of dental prosthetic design but are not the primary functions of a minor connector. Support is typically provided by major connectors, retention is primarily the function of the direct retainers, and protection is related to the design of the denture to prevent traumatic forces on the oral tissues.