1. The document discusses dental surveyors, which are used to analyze diagnostic casts and determine the ideal path of insertion for removable dental prostheses. 2. It describes the key parts of a surveyor including the platform, arms, mandrel and tools. Common surveyor types and their distinguishing features are also outlined. 3. The steps of surveying a diagnostic cast are explained, including selecting the optimal tilt, locating undercuts and interferences, marking survey lines and tripoding the cast for future reference.

1. DENTAL SURVEYOR

2. •what is a surveyor
•Types of surveyor
•Parts and tools of surveyor
•Objectives and uses of surveying
•Factors that determine path of
placement
•Tripoding
•Survey lines
•Block out
•Step by step procedure in surveying

3. A paralellometer an instrument used to
determine relative parallelism of
surfaces of teeth or other areas on a cast
of the jaws.
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
Eyeballing was used to construct
removable partial denture prosthesis

4. Surveyor was introduced by Dr. A.J. Fortunati in
1918. Ney surveyor is widely used.

5. • Jelenko type
• Horizontal arm may be
made swing
• Vertical arm retained
by spring
• Ney type
• Horizontal arm is fixed
• Vertical arm is retained
by friction

6. a) Ney Surveyor
b) Jelenko Surveyor
c) Williams Surveyor
d) Retentoscope Surveyor
e) A 2000 – Bachmann Surveyor
f) Micro analyzor
g) Stress – O-Graph
h) Austenal Surveyor
i) Optical surveyor
j) Computerized surveyor
k) Ticonium Surveyor
l) Intra Oral Surveyor
Types of dental surveyors

7. Williams surveyor: In
this table is adjustable to
any desired tilt and that
degree of inclination can
be recorded for
positioning the cast at
any time. The distinct
advantage of this table
over universal tilt table is
that the center of rotation
always remains constant.

8. 1. Platform.
2. Vertical arm.
3. Horizontal arm.
4. Surveying arm.
5. Mandrel.
6. Analyzing rod.
7. Cast holder or
Surveying table.
PARTS OF A DENTAL SURVEYOR

9. • Surveying platform is a metal plate where a cast
holder is placed. Forms the base where all other
components are attached and is parallel to the floor.
• Cast holder/surveying table is a table where cast can
be locked in any position with a locking device.
Surveying table should not be tilted more than 10°,
because with the increase in tilt path of insertion of
denture will also increase, ultimately requiring
excessive mouth opening during insertion.

10. • Vertical arm arises vertically from surveying
platform, supports horizontal arm and surveying
arm.
• Horizontal arm extends from the vertical arm,
supports to surveying arm at its free end. It is fixed
in the Ney surveyor where it can be revolved
horizontally in Jelenko surveyor.
• Surveying arm extends vertically from the free end
of horizontally from the end of horizontal arm.
Lower end of this arm has mandrel into which tools
for surveying locked in. In the Jelenko surveyor the
surveying arm is spring loaded.

11. Carbon marker
Mandrel
Analyzing rod
Undercut Gauge
Trimming Knife
BASIC TOOLS
Tools of a dental surveyor

12. Analyzing Rod
Analysing rod is kept tangent to the surface the object
being surveyed.
Helps to analyse the location of the height of contour.
Used to determine the parallelism of the tooth surfaces
before making the surveyline.

13. • Presence or absence of favourable and unfavourable
undercuts for a particular path of insertion.

14. The analyzing rod is replaced with carbon
marker and height of contour is marked on the
teeth (abutment) and tissue.

15. Undercut Gauge
• Used to measure the depth
and location of the
undercut on the analysed
tooth.
• Distance between the
periphery of the head and
the stem of the gauge
gives the value of
undercut.
• McCracken states
availability of undercut
gauges are at 0.01, 0.02,
0.03

17. Wax Knife
Guide Planes
• Used to contour the wax
pattern
• Used to block out
undesirable undercuts

18. Use of surveyor
1. To survey the diagnostic cast
• To determine the path of insertion
• To identify the guiding planes
• To chart out mouth preparation
• To locate undercut areas
• To locate any other soft tissue or hard
tissue interferences
• To mark the height of contour

19. 2. For placement of intracoronal retainer
3. For the placement of internal rest
4. Machining the cast restorations
5. To survey the master cast
6. To contour the wax pattern
7. To survey the ceramic crowns

20. Objectives of surveying
1. To determine the most acceptable path of insertion
and removal.
Path of insertion
It 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.

21. Path of insertion
• The angle that the prosthesis takes as it goes to its
place is referred as Path of insertion
• Path of insertion is always parallel to the vertical arm
and is determined by the tilt of the cast on the
surveying table.
• Partial denture may have one or more path of insertion
and it is determined by the presence edentulous space
or the space is tooth bounded or it is of distal
extension type.

22. Factors that influence the path of insertion.
1. Guide planes
2. Rententive Undercuts
3. Interferences in Mandible and Maxilla
4. Esthetics

23. Guide plane
• Guide planes are formed from the proximal or axial
surfaces of the teeth and are contacted by the minor
connectors or other rigid elements of the partial denture.
• These planes guide the prosthesis in & out of the mouth
without causing undesirable forces against the teeth.
• When the denture is completely seated in the mouth,
guiding planes, in intimate contact with the minor
connectors, help stabilize it against lateral forces

24. • The guiding plane need not be more than 2 or 3 mm in
occlusogingival length.
• The surveyor is used to locate existing or potential
surfaces of teeth that can be converted to guiding
planes by selective grinding of enamel surface.
• Guide planes are always developed parallel to the path
of insertion.
• If the teeth for which Guiding Planes are planned are
to receive cast restorations, wax patterns should be
shaped by the surveyor with their surfaces parallel to
path of insertion.

25. Guide Planes

26. Undercuts
The surveyor is used with the master cast to mark the
height of convexity of the abutment teeth both to locate
the clasp arms and to identify the location and magnitude
of retentive undercuts.
The exact undercut that retentive clasp terminal will
occupy must be measured and marked on the master cast.

27. Undercut may be divided into
• True Undercut.
• False Undercut.
True undercuts are those in relation to the common path
of displacement & provide retention for the denture
Along this path.
False undercuts are those produced by tilting the cast.
They provide retention along the path in which the
survey has been made, but not in the common path of
displacement.

28. Interferences
• In different areas of the mouth ie,the teeth, soft
tissue undercuts and bony exostoses frequently
interfere with the insertion of partial denture.
• These interferences have to be eliminated either by
altering the tilt of the cast or by surgery.

29. Esthetics
For optimum esthetics the metal, in the form of clasp
arm must be concealed as much as possible with out
compromising the necessary support and stability of
the prosthesis and the artificial anterior teeth must
be placed in the most natural position possible.

30. Tripoding
After the final tilt of the cast has been selected, it must
be recorded so that the cast may later be repositioned
precisely. This procedure is referred to as tripoding.
The simplest method consists
of placing 3 cross marks on the
tissue position of the cast, lingual to
the remaining teeth at widely
separated points while the cast and
the vertical arm of the surveyor are
held at fixed position. This will
establish 3 points on the same
horizontal plane.

31. • Marks or lines drawn on a cast in a single
plane perpendicular to the survey rod to
assist with repositioning the cast on a dental
surveyor in a previously defined orientation.

32. Survey line
The line which is marked on the abutment
tooth by the surveyor spindle to indicate its
greatest circumference in a given horizontal
plane.
Significance
• All rigid components of the partial denture
must be kept occlusal to it.
• The terminal third of the retentive clasp arm
is placed gingival to the survey line. The
survey line also helps to locate areas of
undesirable tooth undercut that must be

33. Survey line divides the tooth into Supra
bulge and Infra bulge area. The area occlusal
to the survey line is supra bulge area
and the area gingival to the survey line is
infra bulge area.

34. Blatterfein’s, classification
1.High survey Line
2.Medium Survey Line
3.Low Survey line
4.Diagonal Survey Line
Classification of survey line

35. High survey line:
High Survey line is found near the occlusal
surface of a tooth often being parallel to the
gingival margin.
It results from abnormal inclination of the tooth
and is frequently found on the lingual surfaces of
the lower teeth and buccal surfaces of the upper
teeth.

36. Medium survey line:
Medium Survey line is situated across the center of
the tooth and exhibits a slight occlusogingival
incline from the near zone to the far zone.

37. Low survey line:
Low survey line is situated close to and parallel
to the gingival margin. It frequently occurs as a
result of marked inclination of the tooth and may
also occur on conically shaped tooth.

38. Diagonal survey line:
Diagonal survey line travels diagonally from near
the occlusal surface in the near zone to the
gingiva in the far zone.

39. What is parallel blocking, shape blocking,
arbitrary blocking and releif ?
After the establishment of the path of
placement and the location of the undercut areas on
the master cast, any undercut areas that will be
crossed by rigid parts of the denture must be
eliminated by block out.

40. Proximal tooth surfaces to be used as
guiding planes
Beneath all minor connectors
Tissue undercuts to be crossed by rigid
connectors
Tissue undercuts to be crossed by origin
of bar clasps
Deep interproximal surfaces to be covered
by minor connectors or linguoplates
Beneath bar clasp arms to gingival crevice
Parallel block out

41. Arbitrary block out
To eliminate unwanted bone and soft tissue
undercutwhich may interfere with path of insertion

42. Shaped block out
Along the lower border of proposed retentive
arm
Surface of the block out wax will be projecting
from the tooth surface

43. Relief areas
• Any addition of wax intended to make the
framework stand away from the master cast is
termed as relief.
• Retentive lattice is raised 1 mm above the
edentulous area to allow resin to completely
surround the longitudinal and transverse struts.

44. Relief areas
Beneath lingual bar connectors or the bar
portion of linguoplates when indicated.
Areas in which major connectors will
contact thin tissue, such as hard areas so
frequently found on lingual of mandibular
ridges and elevated median palatal raphes.
Beneath framework extensions onto ridge
areas for attachment of resin bases.

46. Procedures to be followed during survey
Surveying the diagnostic cast:
a) The cast is placed on the surveying table with the occlusal
surface parallel to the horizontal plane.
1.Preliminary visual assessment of the study cast
2.Initial survey
3.Analysis
4.Final survey

47. b) The degree of tilt is altered while the operator looks
for the maximum number of parallel surfaces which may
act as guides during insertion of the denture, yet at the
same time offer resistance to displacement of the denture
during function.
c) Once analysis is complete, a note is made of the
results of the various possible tilts and the analyzing rod
is exchanged for an undercut gauge, there are 3 gauges,
each with specific use, 0.01” for cobalt chromium; 0.02”
cast gold alloy and 0.03” wrought alloy clasps.

48. d) The teeth and tissue are re-analyzed using an undercut
gauge.
e) Final analysis is carried out bearing in mind the
principle of denture design. Once the path of insertion
has been decided the surveying table is locked in
position.
g) Finally tripoding is carried out on the diagnostic cast.

49. Necessary mouth preparation are noted down and
carried out .

50. Final impression are made and a master cast is
prepared and transfer the tripoding marked on the
master cast.