Surveying

Importance of surveying
• vitally important to the planning, execution,
and verification of appropriate mouth
modifications for a removable partial denture.
• critical for planning the modifications of all
tooth surfaces that will be involved in support,
stabilization, and retention of the prosthesis.
• determine the needed mouth preparation is
vitally important in helping to provide stable
and comfortable removable prostheses.
Terms you should know
 Survey line
line indicates the maximum convexity
(height of contour) of tooth surface.

Survey line
 Guiding planes
• Two or more parallel axial surfaces on abutment
teeth which can be used to limit the path of
insertion and improve the stability of a
removable prosthesis.
• Guide surfaces may occur naturally on teeth but
more commonly need to be prepared
• They are contacted by minor connectors, so help stabilize the prosthesis against lateral
forces.
 Undercut
• The area enclose by the vertical drop and
horizontal surface of any given structure.
• The area of the tooth gingival (infra bulge) to
the survey line.
 Path of insertion
is the direction in which a 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 tissues.
 Path of displacement
• Reverse of Path of Insertion.
 Block-out
o Elimination of undesirable undercuts on the
cast.
o The process of applying wax to the undercut
portions of cast so as to leave only those
undercuts essential to the planned
construction of prosthesis.
 dental surveyor
Definition:
o an instrument used to determine the relative
parallelism of two or more surfaces of the
teeth or other parts of the cast of a dental
arch.
o a paralleling instrument used in the
construction of a prosthesis to locate and
delineate the contours and relative positions
of abutment teeth and associated structures
o The process of locating the height of
the contour of the teeth is called
Surveying and the instrument
utilized is termed Surveyor.
Parts of Dental Surveyor
Ney surveyor Jelenko Surveyor
The principal parts of the Ney surveyor are as
follows:
1. Platform on which the base is moved
2. Vertical arm that supports the superstructure
3. Horizontal arm from which the surveying
tool suspends
4. Table to which the cast is attached
5. Base on which the table swivels
6. Paralleling tool or guideline marker
7. Mandrel for holding special tools
 Surveying tools
1- Analyzing rod.
2- Carbon marker.
3- Undercut gauge.
4- Wax trimmer (trimming knife).
1- Analyzing rod
Used to identify
undercut areas &
relative parallelism
on a dental cast.
2- Carbon (Graphite)
marker

Used to mark
the height of
contour.
3-Undercut gauges
o They measure the
extent of horizontal
undercut.
o Sizes: 0.25, 0.5, 0.75
mm.
o The shank & head
should contact the
cast simultaneously.
This allows correct
positioning of
retentive clasp arms
4- Trimming knife
o Used for block-out
procedures of
unwanted
undercuts.
(Duplicate cast).
o Used to prepare
guide surfaces on
wax patterns of
crowns for
abutment teeth.
 PURPOSES OF THE SURVEYOR
1- surveying the diagnostic cast.
2- recon touring abutment teeth on the diagnostic
cast.
3- contouring wax patterns.
4- measuring a specific depth of undercut.
5- surveying ceramic veneer crowns.
6- placing intracoronal retainers, internal rests,
machining cast restorations.
7- surveying and blocking out the master cast
 1- Surveying the Diagnostic Cast
1- To determine the most desirable paths of
insertion and removal for removable partial
dentures.
2- To identify proximal surfaces that must be
prepared to serve as guiding planes.
3 -To delineate the heights of contour for all of
the teeth and to locate and measure retentive
areas.
4- To locate both dental and osseous contours
that could interfere with insertion and removal
of a partial denture framework and to allow
accurate charting of the necessary mouth
preparation.
5- To record the cast position and its relation to
the path of placement.
6- To transfer the partial denture design to the
master cast in the laboratory.
7- To block out the master cast and to trim the
block out material.
8- To develop the axial contours of wax patterns.
9- To machine guiding planes.
10- To facilitate the placement of intracoronal
retainers.
Surveying procedure
o Preliminary visual assessment of the study
cast.
o Initial survey.
o Analysis.
o Final survey.
 1-Visual assessment
o The cast is held in the hand & inspected from
above.

o Any problem is noted, Whether or not a tilted

survey should be employed.
 2- Initial survey
o The cast is positioned on the surveying table with
a horizontal occlusal plane.

o Each abutment is examined for retentive

undercuts.

o If not present they must be created in the mouth

(enamel recontouring, fixed restorations).
Position the cast
o Analyzing rod & the triangle of light.
o Under cut gauge.
 3- Analysis
o The cast continues in a horizontal plane.
o Before tilting analysis of:
1- Retention
2-Interfernces Factors
affect the
3-Appearance (Aesthetics) path of
insertion
4- Guiding planes
 Retention
o When the existence of retentive undercuts has
been verified in a horizontal plane, the tilt may
be changed to optimize the undercut on any
tooth.
 Interferences
o Teeth, bony prominence, soft tissue undercuts
& exostosis ....may interfere with the insertion
of a RPD.

o Difficulties may be avoided by changing the

tilt, or surgical intervention.
 Maxillary Interferences
o Palatal torus.
o Exostoses & undercuts in the buccal surface.
o Facially inclined teeth.
o Anterior ridge with noticeable undercut.
 Bony undercut labially
Poor retention & esthetics Posterior tilt
 Interference in the mandibular arch
o Mandibular tori.
o Lingually tilted posterior teeth ( recon touring,
orthodontic movement).
o Areas adjacent to the retro molar pad area
undercuts, if unilateral tilting the cast could be
the solution.
All the previously mentioned factors
should be analyzed well before
determining the most favorable tilt.
 Path of insertion
o The tilt of the cast determines the direction
that the partial denture will take during
placement & removal.
o Kennedy Class I & unmodified Class II:
• Bounded by teeth at one end.
• Variety of angles for path of insertion.
o In Class III, Class IV, modified Class II:
• The associated prosthesis will have a single
path of insertion.

• Minor connectors are the only components

that contact the guiding planes, so they
govern the path of insertion.
 4-Final Survey
Tripoding the cast:
o After the most favourable tilt of the cast has
been selected, it must be recorded for future
reference.

o Tripod marks should be positioned at three

widely spaced anatomic areas of the cast.