Survey
Survey
Design
Introduction to Design
All removable partial dentures must be designed to preserve
and maintain what remains, as well as fill in the missing
dentulous spaces – tooth as well as tissue
PRINCIPLES
The design of free-end extension partials must compensate
for the slight MOVEMENT which occurs during function
So the remaining oral structures will not be damaged
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
The RPD must be PASSIVE
Exert no force when not in function, so that the remaining oral
structures will not be damaged
Other wise the appliance may act as an orthodontic appliance and
cause unwanted movement of the teeth
The RPD must be COMFORTABLE
Without comfort , it will be a failure
The RPD must be pleasingly AESTHETIC
No excessive display of metal, or the patient may discard the
appliance
The design should be as SIMPLE as possible
Simplicity of design helps produce a comfortable RPD
Aids in maintenance of oral tissue
Is more aesthetic
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Design Goals
Support
The foundation on which a dental prosthesis rests
That which stops it from moving toward the tissue
Denture base area, rests, including metal and acrylic
Stability
the quality of a prosthesis to be firm, constant and stable
Rests, major and minor connectors
Retention
The quality of a prosthesis to resist displacement by function,
or horizontal and vertical stresses
Clasp assembly
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
6 Uses of a Surveyor
Surveying the study cast
Contouring wax patterns for cast restorations on
abutment teeth for RPD
Placement of precision attachments in wax patterns for
RPD
Placement of precision rest
Machining cast restorations, with the use of a hand
piece holder
Surveying the master cast
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Surveying
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Surveying
A clasp partial is retained by having the tip of the clasp
arm engage an undercut on the abutment tooth
Undercuts on abutment teeth are either desirable or
undesirable
Desirable undercuts are utilized for retention
All other undercuts are undesirable – because rigid portions of the
partial denture cannot be placed there
Locating the undercuts is done with a DENTAL
SURVEYOR Definition of a surveyor
“an instrument used to determine the relative parallelism of two or more
surfaces of teeth or other portions of a cast of the dental arch
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Surveyors
Surveyors are used to
determine relative
parallelism.
The relative height of
contour or greatest
circumference of each tooth
is determined
The area below the height
of contour is undercut
Tip of clasp gains retention
All other undercuts must be eliminated before RPD is made, either by
mouth preparation or by blocking out
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Types of Surveyors
A simple instrument –
consisting of platform
a ,
with a verticalspindle
(which is perpendicular to
the platform), the lower
end of the spindle has a
chucking device (for
attaching instruments)
A moveabletable, with a
tilting top permits a cast
to be mounted and moved
in any direction on the
base of the surveyor
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Handout –The Dental Surveyor
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Purpose of Surveying
To determine the path of placement
Identify guiding planes
Guiding planes define a path of placement, contribute to
stability, and ensure positive clasp action
Locate undercut areas
Evaluate soft tissue undercuts
Evaluate aesthetics
Determine restorative procedures
Delineate survey lines
Used for Tripoding the cast
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Steps in Surveying
Analysing the cast
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Tilting the cast to establish guide planes
Establishing the path of insertion
Marking survey lines
Gauging desirable undercuts
Tripoding
Height of contour
•
•
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
•
•
Undercut =
• Infrabulge
• Suprabulge
Surveying Procedure
Preliminary visual assessment of the study cast
“eye balling” the cast
Initial surveying with the analysing rod
Analysis by tilting the cast
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Check for interference
Retention
Path of insertion
Final survey
Mark with graphite lead
Tripoding
Surveying Fundamentals
The objective in cast partial construction is to design a
cast metal framework
which will go to place easily on the cast and in the mouth
which will stay in place when dislodging forces tend to
unseat it.
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Teeth are often tipped or rotated so their long axis are
not parallel
A RPD always involves at least two teeth, usually more
No rigid part of the partial can be expected to bend
around a bulge of the tooth. It must go into place as a
single unit
The clasp tips, (because of their springiness) can, and will do
so
Tilting of the Cast
“Tilting is on of the most confusing factors in
surveying and design and accomplishes very little”
Tilting does not produce undercuts
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Tilting determines the path of insertion
The direction in which a patient places the partial denture in
the mouth
Cast tilted to the anterior – denture is inserted from rear
downward and forward
Cast tilted to the posterior – denture is inserted backward and
downward
Studies have shown that the majority of patients insert
their RPD in their mouth in one manner, regardless of how
in was surveyed
Straight up and down
An odd path of insertion often caused the patients
difficulty during insertion and removal
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
In addition, many clasps that are designed to gain
retention from undercuts that have been created by tilting,
had no retention when they were placed in the mouth
Rules for Surveying – when to tilt
Undercuts cannot be produced or created by tilting a
cast
All casts are originally surveyed with the occlusal
plane parallel to the base of the surveyor Zero degree tilt
Whenever possible, undesirable undercuts, and areas of
interference, are removed during mouth preparation by the
dentist (by re-contouring the teeth or making necessary
restorations)
The cast may be tilted in the following instances
To equalize undercuts
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
To place a clasp tip in a better position for aesthetics
Where six anterior teeth remain in such an angle that the
survey line is at the incisal edge of the teeth at zero degree tilt
IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE CLASP TIP
BE IN AN UNDERCUT
WHICH WAS PRESENT
WHEN THE CAST WAS SURVEYED
IN ITS ZERO DEGREE TILT
An undercut cannot be created on a cone by tilting it
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Uses
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
The tip of the clasp flexes during insertion, so that it
engages an undercut on an abutment tooth
Once the clasp is in position, it is passive and exerts no force
on the tooth except when the partial denture is removed, or when
vertical displacing forces are encountered
Tilting will distribute the retention more equally among
several abutment teeth
Tilting may be used minimally
To increase desirable undercuts
To decrease undesirable undercuts
Tilting may improve the parallelism of a space in the
anterior of the mouth to minimise the unsightly show of
spaces or metal
By aligning the RPD teeth with the natural teeth on either
side of the space
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Tilting may minimise undercuts of teeth and soft tissue
to allow a more advantageous positioning of rigid parts of
the partial
Altering the position of the cast, by tilting
Changes the long axis of the teeth relative to the horizontal
plane
Anterior tilt
When the anterior of the cast is down
Posterior tilt
When the posterior of the cast is down
It changes the position of the survey line in relation to
the horizontal plane
This changes the location of the undercut and non-undercut
areas on each tooth
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Distribute the Undercuts
A large undercut on one side, and a small undercut on
the other side, can be equalized by simply tilting the cast
This tilting of the cast will change the path of insertion
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Path of Insertion
The direction in which the partial denture seats itself on
the teeth
Since the positions of all the clasps on an appliance are fixed
to each other, they must all seat in the same path of insertion
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Under-cut gauges
One ring
0.25 mm = 0.01”
Two ring
0.5 mm = 0.02”
Three ring
0.75 mm = 0.03”
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
All undesirable undercuts must be eliminated before
the
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
RPD is made
By mouth preparation
By blocking out these undercuts on the master cast prior to
duplication
Determining undercut
The amount of undercut which a clasp engages is
determined by the flexibility of the clasp arm
Flexibility of a clasp arm depends on
The metal used in the clasp – cast or wrought
The design of the clasp
Whether the clasp is round or half-round
The length of the clasp arm
The depth of the undercut
The amount of undercut utilized
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Depth of Undercut
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Mouth Preparation
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Guide Planes
Rest Seats
Guide Planes
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Attaching the Teeth
Saddle Design
Denture Tooth Attachment
Finishing Lines
Distal-shoe Extensions
Design Theory
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
System of Design
Method 1 Method 2
1. saddles 1 . rests
2. support 2 . major connector
3. retention 3 . minor connector
4. bracing and 4 . direct retainers reciprocation
5 . Indirect retainers
5 . connector
6 . indirect retention
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Choosing a clasp
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Choosing a clasp
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Choosing a clasp
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Choosing a clasp
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
Stress Breakers
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
RPI Clasp
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
RPI
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
RPI
RPD - Introduction to Surveying
