SURVEY AND DESIGN

Introduction
Cornerstones for effective RPD design and
construction
Identifies parallel surfaces and points of
maximum contour.

Definitions
SURVEY:- (GPT8)
To examine as to condition, value, or
situation; to appraise
SURVEYING:- (GPT8)
An analysis and comparison of the
prominence of intraoral contours
associated with the fabrication of a dental
prosthesis

 SURVEY LINE:- (GPT8)

A line produced on a cast by a surveyor
marking the greatest prominence of
contour in relation to the planned path of
placement of a restoration

 SURVEYOR (GPT8):
A paralleling
instrument used in
construction of a dental
prosthesis to locate and
delineate the contours
and relative positions of
abutment teeth and
associated structures

 GUIDING-PLANES (GPT8):

Vertically parallel surfaces on abutment

teeth or/and dental implant abutments
oriented so as to contribute to the
direction of the path of placement and
removal of a removable
dental prosthesis

 BLOCK-OUT:- (GPT8)
1: elimination of undesirable undercuts on
a cast,

2: the process of applying wax or another

similar temporary substance to undercut
portions of a cast so as to leave only those
undercuts essential to the planned
construction of a prosthesis. A blocked out
cast may also include other surface
modifications needed relative to the
construction of the prosthesis

 UNDERCUT:
(GPT8)
The portion of
the surface of an
object that is below
the height of
contour in
relationship to the
path of placement.

Methods of surveying
Basically two types of surveying methods
are available.
Surveying by using parallelometer.

Optical surveying by using light beams.

Surveyor
Parts of surveyor:
1. Platform:-on which the base is moved.
2. Vertical arm:-supports the super structure.
3. Horizontal arm:-from which the surveying
tools 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.

Attachments of surveyor:
1. Analysing rod
2. Graphite
marker
3. Undercut gauge
4. Trimming knife

SIGNIFICANCE OF SURVEY LINES

 All rigid components of the partial denture

must be kept occlusal.
Normally only the terminal third of the
retentive clasp is placed gingival to the survey
line.
The survey line also helps locate areas of
undesirable tooth undercuts that must be
avoided or eliminated by contouring or
placing restoration on the teeth.

HEIGHT OF CONTOUR

The term first used by KENNEDY.

It represents the greatest bulge of diameter
of a crown when viewed from a specific angle
or changes as the vertical position of the
tooth changed.
Tipping or tilting the cast will cause the
height of contour to move accordingly.

 Height of contour

Undercut =
Infrabulge
Suprabulge

 DE VAN referred
to the surface of a
tooth that is
occlusal to the
height of contour
as SUPRA BULGE
and surface
inclining cervically
as INFRA BULGE.

Retentive tip should usually be designed to

be placed in the gingival 1/3

 NEAR ZONE & FAR ZONE:If the buccal and lingual tooth surfaces are
divided into two halves by vertical line
through long axis, the near zone is that half
which lies nearer to the saddle and far zone
is more remote from the saddle.

 DIAGONAL SURVEY LINE:Lies nearer the occlusal surface than the

gingival margin in the near zone of the
tooth, but opposite condition exists in the
far zone.
Commonly found in buccal surfaces of
canines and premolars

MEDIUM SURVEY LINE

This appears on the buccal or lingual surface

of the tooth, approximately equidistance
from the occlusal surface and gingival
margin in the near zone and slightly nearer
the gingival margin in the far zone.
This indicates the use of occlusally
approaching clasp.

HIGH SURVEY LINE & LOW SURVEY LINE

High survey line:-appears much nearer to
the occlusal than gingival of the tooth in both
near and far zone.
It may arise as a result of abnormal tooth
form where occlusal surface has a
considerable longer perimeter than cementoenamel junction.

 More commonly it results from inclination

of tooth.
It frequently found on the buccal surfaces
of the uppers.

LOW SURVEY LINE

Frequently occurs as a result of marked
inclination of the tooth, when it is associated
with the high survey line of the opposite side.
A tooth surface with the low survey line
cannot bear retentive clasp arm.

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NeyS classification of survey lines

Class I: Survey line runs
diagonally across the
tooth surface. The type
of clasp indicated is
occlusally approaching
cast clasp with terminal
third
engaging
the
undercut.

NeyS classification of survey lines:

Class II: Survey line also
runs diagonally across the
tooth surface but as a mirror
image of Class I line. Here a
gingivally approaching clasp
arm is suggested.

Class III: Survey line is

parallel to the occlusal
surface and lies just
below it.

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OBJECTIVES OF SURVEYING
- To design a RPD such that its rigid and
flexible components are appropriately
positioned to obtain good retention and
bracing.
- To determine the path of insertion of a
prosthesis such that there is no interference to
insertion along this path.
- To mark the height of contour of the area
above the undercut.
- To mark the survey lines.
- To mark the undesirable undercut into which
the prosthesis should not extend.

TYPES OF SURVEYOR
The surveyors commonly used
are
Ney Surveyors(widely used).
Jelenko or Wills Surveyor
Williams Surveyor

COLOR CODING.

 A color coding system for the various parts of

the removable partial denture as well as for
other items of information that should be
included on the diagnostic casts helps
prevent confusion on the part of a dental
laboratory technician or any one trying to
understand the design being proposed.

 Brown crayon pencil out line the metallic

portion.
Blue crayon pencil out line the acrylic portion of
the denture base.
Red crayon pencil to indicate areas on the teeth
that will be prepared.
Solid red rests and rest seats.
Black pencil and carbon marker used to denote
the survey lines

USES OF SURVEYOR
Surveying the diagnostic cast
Contouring wax patterns
Surveying ceramic veneer crowns
Placement of intra-coronal retainers
Placement of internal rest seat
Machining cast restoration
Surveying the master cast
Recontouring abutment teeth on the diagnostic
cast
Aids in placing guide plane
Measuring depth of undercut on abutment
tooth

ESSENTIALS OF PARTIAL DENTURE

DESIGN
Design of the partial denture framework are
based on the following prosthesis concepts:
Where the prosthesis is supported,
how the support is connected,
how the prosthesis is retained,
how the retention and support are
connected, and
how edentulous base support is connected.

Where the prosthesis is supported

In an entirely tooth-supported partial
denture, the most ideal location for the
support units (rests) is on prepared rest
seats on the occlusal, cingulum, or incisal
surface of the abutment adjacent to each
edentulous space

 Abutment tooth consideration:

(1)periodontal health;
(2) crown and root morphologies;
(3) crown-to-root ratio;

(4) bone index area (how tooth has

responded to previous stress);

(5) location of the tooth in the arch;

(6) relationship of the tooth to other

support units (length of edentulous span);
and
(7) the opposing dentition

 In a tooth and tissuesupported partial

denture, equitable support must come
from the edentulous ridge areas.

Edentulous ridge considerations:

(1)the quality of the residual ridge, which
includes contour and quality of the supporting
bone and quality of the supporting mucosa;

(2) the extent to which the residual ridge will

be covered by the denture base;
(3) the type and accuracy of the impression
registration;

(4) the accuracy of the denture base;

(5) the design characteristics of the

component parts of the partial denture
framework; and
(6) the anticipated occlusal load

How the support is connected

The second step in systematic
development of the design for any
removable partial denture is to connect
the tooth and tissue support units.

This connection is facilitated by designing

and locating major and minor connectors

 Major connectors must be rigid so that

forces applied to any portion of the
denture can be effectively distributed to
the supporting structures.

 Minor connectors arising from the major

connector make it possible to transfer
functional stress to each abutment tooth
through its connection to the
corresponding rest and also to transfer the
effects of the retainers, rests, and
stabilizing components to the remainder
of the denture and throughout the dental
arch.

How the prosthesis is retained

The third step is to determine how the
removable partial denture is to be
retained.
The retention must be sufficient to resist
reasonable dislodging forces

 Retention is accomplished by :
1. placement of mechanical retaining
elements (clasps) on the abutment teeth
and
2. by the intimate relationship of the
denture bases and major connectors
(maxillary) with the underlying tissues

How the retention and support are

connected
The fourth step is to connect the retention
units to the support units.
If direct and indirect retainers are to
function as designed, each must be rigidly
attached to the major connector.

How edentulous base support is

connected
The fifth and last step is to design the
outline and join the edentulous area to the
already established design components.

PROCEDURE/Surveying in RPD Design

THIS HAS 4 DISTINCT PHASES:
1.Preliminary visual assessment of the
cast/Eyeballing
2.Initial survey
3.Analysis
4.Final survey

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Preliminary visual assessment

The cast is placed on the palm and inspected
from above.
Check for the general form and arrangement of
the teeth.
This is eyeballing.

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Initial Survey.
The cast is positioned on the table horizontally
and the teeth and ridge surveyed to identify the
undercut area which might be utilized for
retention.
The initial survey is done with a graphite
marker.
The amount of undercut can be judged by the
Triangle of light between the graphite marker
and the cervical portion of the tooth

Initial Survey

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Analysis.
A RPD can be designed so that the path of
insertion=path of removal when surveyed with
occlusal plane horizontal.
However the table can be given a tilt if the part
of insertion is to be different from path of
displacement
The graphite marker is changed for analyzing
rod for analysis so that various position of the
teeth can be analyzed without marking the teeth.

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The following factors must be looked at during

analysis.
The appearance.
Interference
Retention.

Final Analysis
The graphite marker is exchanged with another
marker and the table is tilted to either hill up or
hill down position.
The cast is then surveyed.

Final Analysis
If the cast has been tilted for the final survey, the
degree of tilt must be recorded so that the
position of the cast can be reproduced in the
laboratory.
There are two methods of recording the degree
of tilt.
This is TRIPODING the Cast

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Using the tripod method, the vertical arm of the

surveyor is locked at a height that allows the tip
of the marker to contact the palatal surface of
the ridge in the molar and incisal regions.
Three points are marked with the graphite
marker, one on each side posteriorly and one
anteriorly.
The points will then be ringed with a pencil

Final Analysis; Tripoding the cast

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Tripoding Or
Scoring are
Performed While
the Master Cast is
Still Mounted on
the Survey Table
Without Changing
the Tilt to
Preserve the
Established Cast
Tilt

CONCLUSION
Dental surveying is imperative in RPD design to
obtain information for informed decisions to be
made concerning:
1. Optimum path of insertion and removal of RPD.
2.Choice of clasp design
3.Materials for clasp design