Viability of magnetic denture retainers: a 3-year case report.

: The purpose of this article is to report on the use of a neodymium-iron-boron magnet enclosed in a laser-welded stainless steel casing as a viable method of retention for removable partial dentures. This mode of retention dispenses with unsightly clasps, at the same time providing direct tooth support via the overdenture abutment. Magnetic attachments are simpler to incorporate into the prosthesis than mechanical attachments, which require springs, coplanar surfaces, or screws. Overdentures of this nature have the added advantage of being more stable and retentive than conventional partial dentures, and they are easily removed and seated without the patient having to grapple with clasps and complex paths of insertion. This particular magnetic attachment exhibited no deterioration after 3 years in function, and the results so far have been promising.