Dental Surveyor

Dr.Farhad Wahid Rasool

Prosthodontics/ Removable Partial Denture

Semester/ First

Week/ 3rd

Date 18/10/2023

3rd Grade
 Outline
• Definition of Dental Surveyor
• Types of Dental Surveyor
• Purposes of the Surveyor
• Tools of the Surveyor
• Uses of the Surveyor
• Surveying Process
• References
Dental Surveyor
A dental surveyor has been defined as an instrument used to determine the relative
parallelism of two or more surfaces of the teeth or other parts of the cast in the dental arch.
Surveying:- Is the analysis and comparison of the prominence of intraoral contours
associated with the fabrication of the removable partial denture.
Types of Dental Surveyor
types of dental surveyor:
1. Electronic Surveyor: they are complicated and expensive. Their use is restricted
to researches and large commercial dental laboratories.
2. Mechanical Surveyor:
which includes
A- Ney surveyor (fixed arm).
B- Jelenko surveyor (removable arm).

a- Ney surveyor b- Jelenko surveyor

Path of Placement: This is the direction in which the
restoration moves from the point of initial contact of its rigid
parts with the supporting teeth to its terminal resting position,
with rests seated and the denture base in contact with the tissue.

Height of Contour: Is defined as “A line encircling

the tooth designating its greatest circumference at the selected
position”

Path of Insertion: A partial denture will be taken

during placement and removal of the denture. The resultant
pathway is called the path of insertion.
 Guiding Planes
Guide planes are defined as “Two or more vertically parallel surfaces of abutment teeth so
oriented as to direct the path of placement and removal of removable partial dentures”
1-Prepared on the proximal aspect of the abutment tooth adjacent to the edentulous area.
2-Can be prepared on an enamel surface.
3-Should be in intimate contact with the minor connector.
4-Help protect weak tooth
Purposes of the Surveyor
1-To determine the most desirable path of placement that minimizes interference to
placement and removal and provides the best esthetics.
2-To identify proximal tooth surfaces on which
guiding planes can be prepared.
3-To locate and measure areas of the teeth that may be used for retention.
4-To determine whether tooth and bony areas of interference will need to be eliminated
surgically or by selecting a different path of placement.
5-To delineate the height of contour on abutment teeth and to locate areas of undesirable
tooth undercut that are to be avoided, eliminated, or blocked out.
Surveyor Tools
1-Analyzing Rod

2-Carbon Markers

3-Undercut Gauges

4-Wax Trimmer
1-Aanalyzing Rod: This is positioned in the mandrel of the surveying arm and
used to determine the relative parallelism of surfaces on the dental cast.

2. Carbon Markers: A carbon marker, which is used to mark the height of

contour on one or more surfaces of the dental cast.
3. Undercut Gauges: Used to measure the depth & and location of the undercuts
on the cast.
• 0.01 inch or 0.25 mm
• 0.02 inch or 0.5 mm
• 0.03 inch or 0.75 mm

4. Wax Trimmer: Used for trimming the excess wax which blocks out undesirable
undercut in such a way to be parallel to each other and to the pre-determined path of
insertion.
Uses of the Surveyor
1-Surveying the diagnostic and primary casts.
2-Tripoding the cast. (Recording the cast position), & Transferring the tripod marks to
another cast.
3-Contouring wax pattern, crowns, and cast restorations.
4-Placing internal attachments and rests.
5-Surveying the master cast.
Surveying Process
The surveying process is composed of several phases.
1-Identifying the most favorable tilt
2-Path of insertion
3-Tripoding the cast
4-Placing the survey lines
5-Locating & measured undercuts
 1-Identifying the Most Favorable Tilt
During the initial stages of the surveying process, cast of the dental arch is fixed to the
surveying table
 The tilt of the dental cast is described from the viewpoint of a person
looking at its posterior surface.
 Therefore, if the anterior of the cast is lowered, the cast is said to have
an anterior tilt. (left displays)
 If the posterior is lowered, the cast is said to have a posterior tilt.
(Right displays)
If the right side is lowered, the cast is said to have right side tilt.
 If the left side is lowered, the cast is said to have left side tilt.
Any combination of tilts may be used, but extreme tilts should be avoided.
Factors Determine the Most Favorable Tilt of the Dental
Cast
A. 1-Presence of suitable undercuts
B. 2-Elimination of hard and soft tissue interferences
C. 3-Creation of desirable esthetics
D. 4-Establishment of appropriate guiding planes.
A-Presence of Retentive Undercuts
The surveying procedure is always started with the:-
Cast firmly attached to the surveying table
Occlusal surface parallel to the platform of the surveyor.
Each abutment was examined for retentive undercuts.
By using the analyzing rod and evaluating the contours.
• Note: Identify the favorable undercuts on the abutment teeth at the horizontal tilt.
If retentive undercuts are not present, they must be created by
Recontouring enamel surfaces for Fixed restorations
(eg, gold crowns or metal-ceramic crowns).
Tilting the cast

Tilting (anteroposteriorly. Or laterally.), so that: … Height of contour between. Gingival

and middle third of the tooth

Advantages:

 Esthetic clasp

 Reduced force on abutment

B-Elimination of Hard and Soft Tissue
Interferences
Structures interfere with the insertion of RPD:
Teeth, bony prominences, soft tissue undercuts, & and exostoses. Avoided by:
 Changing the tilt of the cast
 Changing the design of the major connector
 Surgery
In Maxilla
1. Torus palatinus:
2. Exostoses & undercuts:

3. Tipping of teeth:

• Changing the design or

• Tilt the cast; the path of insertion will change
• Surgical intervention

• Bony exostoses & undercut

 lingual tori

Lingually inclined teeth Bony prominences

 C-Esthetics
To have optimum aesthetic:
Clasp arms should not be visible.
 Artificial tooth to be positioned properly.
 Cases with mesially tilted abutments
 Tilting the cast posterior.
 Grindig & recontouring

• Aesthetic may dictate the choice of the path of insertion in cases want.
missing
The ideal position for a retentive clasp is in the gingival 3rd of the clinical crown.
⦿clasp will be less visible,
⦿provides enough distance between the clasp and the marginal gingiva to promote and
maintain tissue health.
D-Guiding Planes
⦿ Guiding planes are parallel surfaces of abutment teeth that direct the insertion &
and removal of a partial denture.
⦿Formed on the proximal or axial surfaces of the teeth
⦿ Parallel to the path of insertion
 2-Path of Insertion
The tilt of a cast determines the direction that the partial denture will take during placement
and removal. The resultant pathway is called the path of insertion.

the path of insertion and removal will always be parallel to the vertical arm of the surveyor
A Kennedy Class I prosthesis may enter or exit its intended position at the variety of
angles.

 Kennedy Class II with a modification space is determined by the modification

space.
 If guiding planes are prepared on the proximal surfaces of abutments on the tooth-
bonded side, the prosthesis displays the single path of insertion.
 In Kennedy Class III arches, the existing edentulous spaces are entirely tooth-
bound.
 If guiding planes are prepared on the proximal surfaces of the abutments, …single
path of insertion.

 Kennedy Class IV usually has a single path of insertion.

 parallel to the guiding planes on abutment teeth
The components of a removable partial denture that govern the path of insertion are the
Minor connectors, which join the clasps to the major connector. These are the only
components that contact the guiding planes of the teeth.
⦿ Tilt cast to obtain maximum
parallelism
◾ Heights of the contour are at relatively same
position occlusal- gingivally
◾ Equal amounts of undercut
 3-Tripoding the Cast
⦿ When the proposed path of insertion has been finalized, the tilt of the cast
must be recorded.
⦿ This is accomplished by clearly marking three points in the same horizontal plane
(broken line).
⦿ When these points are realigned in the horizontal plane, the cast will display the
prescribed orientation.
 After ensuring that the proper tilt has been selected, the surveying table is locked in
position.

 A suitable undercut gauge 0.030 is placed in the vertical arm of the surveyor, and the
mandrel is tightened.
The vertical arm of the surveyor is adjusted to permit contact between the head of the
undercut gauge and the cast. The practitioner should ensure that the undercut gauge contacts
the cast at three easily identifiable locations on the lingual surface of the cast

The vertical arm of the surveyor is locked into position. This ensures that the tip of the
undercut gauge defines a single horizontal plane.
⦿ One method is to place three widely divergent dots on the tissue surface of the cast using
the tip of a carbon marker, with the vertical arm of the surveyor in a locked position.
⦿ The dots should be encircled with a colored pencil.
4-Placing Survey Lines
To place survey lines, a carbon marker is positioned in the
surveyor’s mandrel, and the mandrel is tightened.

The surveying table is moved along the surface of the platform

until the cast comes into light contact with the carbon marker.
This is accomplished by controlling the surveyor’s vertical arm
with one hand while guiding movement of the surveying table
with the opposite hand

Survey lines represent the most prominent contours of individual

teeth at the chosen orientation called the height of contour.
⦿ The survey line marks the height of the contour of the tooth.
⦿ Infrabulge.
⦿ Suprabulge.
⦿ Based on the height of the contour, the clasp
of a RPD is
designed
⦿Circumferential, occlusal approaching, supra bulge clasps

⦿ Bar or roach clasps, gingivally approaching, Infrabulge clasps

Medium survey line Low survey line

High survey line Medium survey line

Low survey line Diagonal survey line

5-Locating & Measured Undercuts
The appropriate undercut gauge is placed into the mandrel. For most clasp assemblies,
0.010-inch undercut gauge is indicated.

The dental cast is brought into light contact with the shank of the undercut gauge. At this
stage of the procedure, the head of the undercut gauge does not contact the surface of the
cast.
⦿ The vertical arm of the surveyor has raised until the head of the undercut gauge
contacts the infra bulge area of the tooth.
⦿ The point of contact should appear as very light on the surface of the cast.

⦿ The apical border of this contact is clearly marked using a red pencil
The pencil mark should appear as a thin, horizontal line approximately 2 mm in
length
References
Thank You