SURVEYOR AND

PRINCIPLES OF SURVEYING

DEFINITION
The surveyor (parallelometer) is an
instrument designed to locate contours
and
relative parallelism on teeth and
associated
structures

TYPES
JELENKO
NEY
In all of these the casts are held in
constant
vertical relation to an instrument fixed
in a
vertical surveying arm

PARTS
1.Firm horizontal platform on which the base
is moved
2.Vertical pillar to support the horizontal arm
3.Horizontal arm(fixed in Ney, have a nut at
top in Jelenko to allow freedom n horizontal
plane, double jointed in Williams)
4.Surveying table on which the casts are
fixed

5.Base on which the table swivels and can be

angulated in any direction by ball and socket
joint
6.Surveying arm having mandrel for holding
special tools
7.Surveying tools(accessories)
i. Analyzing rod to locate maximum curvature
without marking the cast
ii. Lead pencil

iii. Undercut gauges

iv. Trimming tools with blade edges
PURPOSE OF SURVEYING
I. To identify and mark the position of
maximum curvature(survey line) which is
to carry a clasp
II.To identify the depth of an undercut
which can be used for the retention of
the prosthesis

III .To eliminate unwanted undercut

IV. It enables those parts of the denture base
which fit against the crowns of the teeth
to
be placed above the survey line
V. It permits to design a denture with one
path of insertion
VI. To determine the type and material of the
clasp by measuring the undercut

IDENTIFYING THE MAXIMUM

CURVATURE
Initially with analyzing rod and then marked
with lead pencil
The area b/w the occlusal surface and the
survey line is non undercut and b/w the
survey line and gingival margin is undercut
The survey line is not a fixed contour and
depends upon the angulations of the tooth on
surveyor table

THE DEPTH OF UNDERCUT

Measured with an undercut gauge which
consists of a rod with a horizontal plate
of the required dimensions at its base
Three sizes are used : 0.25mm, 0.5mm,
0.75mm
With the rod held against the survey line,
the required gauge is moved vertically
until

the horizontal marker engages the

tooth below the survey line
This shows the precise position of the
desired undercut
This can be marked with a suitable
coloured pencil in contrast to the
black lead

ELIMINATION OF THE UNWANTED

UNDERCUT
During laboratory stages all the
unwanted undercuts are blocked out on
the master cast
The undercut is filled with plaster or wax
which is then trimmed vertically flush
with tooth surface while the cast is on
the surveyor table

GUIDE PLANES
A guide plane is a vertical portion of a
tooth surface, 2-3mm in length, over
which a partial denture component can
move freely
Essential to establish a precise path of
insertion
Three or four are essential to give a
specific path of insertion

Effective when located on opposite

sides of mouth/tooth
Guide planes ensures that clasping is
effective and mere engagement of an
undercut by a clasp will not guarantee
retention e.g. a clasp involving a small
buccal undercut will not be retentive if
the denture can be removed in a
buccal direction

FACTORS IN CHOOSING PATH OF

INSERTION
Perpendicular path of insertion is easy
for pt
Angulated path of insertion avoid
displacement by sticky food
By tilting cast on the surveyor the path
of insertion may be changed at will

Following should be considered in choosing

path of insertion
1. The angulations of posterior abutment
teeth
2. The angulations of anterior abutment
teeth
3. The position of undercut
4. The dexterity of the pt

THE ANGULATIONS OF POSTERIOR

TEETH
Two situations must be considered
1. If the proximal surfaces of a bounded
saddle are both angled in the same plane,
the path of insertion should be averaged
along that plane. This has two advantages
i. An efficient guide plane system is
utilized

ii. Path of withdrawal is not

perpendicular
2. If the distal surface of an abutment
on a free end saddle is angulated,
follow that angulations. This makes
the saddle more resistant to
rotational displacement

THE ANGULATION OF ANTERIOR

ABUTMENT TEETH
Follow the angulations of anterior teeth to
avoid unsightly spaces
THE POSITION OF UNDERCUT
Effective undercut can be created by tilting
the model on surveyor table

THE DEXTERITY OF PATIENTS

Elderly and physically handicapped pts
can
find inserting the denture difficult
without
guide planes

TRIPODING THE CAST

Done to achieve the same degree of tilt for
master cast
Trim the lead marker to 45 degree
Adjust the height so that it touches the
lingual tissues and mark it
Lock the horizontal arm
The surveying arm is moved
Mark two additional marks

After marking the primary cast is

removed and master cast is placed

on the surveying table
The master cast is adjusted so that
lead pencil comes in contact with the
master cast in the same manner as it
was in the primary cast

THANK YOU