N THE FIELD of anterior fixed partial dentures, stability and esthetics must receive equal consideration. The partial veneer crown, the gold crown with a veneer, the MacBoyle and the pinledge retainers have been used for many years. Stability has resulted with the partial and full veneer crowns and with the MacBoyle retainer, even though they may not have been constructed with finesse. Esthetically, the MacBoyle retainer leaves much to be desired. To achieve a satisfactory result with the partial veneer crown, modifications must be made in the standard preparati0n.l The veneered gold crown poses the difficulties of overpreparation, contour, masking, and shading. In the hands of a few these problems are solved. A correctly-designed and well-made pinledge requires the least cutting of the tooth and displays the least amount of metal. If used within its limitations, it is an excellent retainer. That it does have definite limitations has been demonstrated to the writer and his associates. Through a trial and error method, where at times it was used solely for experimental purposes, some definite conclusions concerning the indications and contraindications of the pinledge have been reach&. In those instances of failure, some small but highly important point was overlooked when calculating the stresses which would bear on the abutment teeth, in determining the mobility and leverage arcs of those teeth, and in measuring the lever arm necessary in the replacement. Analysis of the study casts had not been made with sufficient care. What had appeared to be a situation quite similar to one previously successful, proved-by failure-that it was influenced by a factor, or several factors, not present before. In almost every failure, a further study of the case showed a torsional stress produced by an unobserved, miscalculated, or disregarded thrust from the opposing jaw.