The Mod Squad

Modication of a Ney Surveyor Cast Holder

Article and Photos By
Tech Sgt. Robert Henson, CDT, and Col. Randall Duncan, DDS, MS
he dental surveyor has been around since 1918 without signicant modication. Although this instrument is used in diagnostic and constructive removable partial denture procedures, it is used primarily for xed prosthodontics: alignment of precision attachments, construction of removable partial denture survey crowns and alignment of xed partial denture abutments for both natural teeth and implants. Unfortunately, the surveyors cast holder has never been designed to support a xed prosthodontic cast, which has a pinned base and is mounted to an articulator. Removing the mounted cast from the articulator becomes a repetitive task when multiple steps of the fabrication process need to be checked on the dental surveyor. Each time the case is analyzed with the dental surveyor, it must be removed from the mounting ring of the cast holder, then tripoded again to the correct path of insertion. After analyzing the cast with the surveyor, it must be remounted onto the articulator. This process must be repeated again each time the surveyor is used. Rather than go through this time consuming process, many technicians eliminate check steps, which can have a signicant impact on the quality of the nal restoration. This article will describe the procedures necessary to modify a Ney surveyor cast holder (Figure 1) for use on
1/2 point CDT or RG documented scientic credit. See Page 27.

Figure 1a

Figure 1b

Figure 2a

Figure 3a

Figure 2b

Figure 3b
26 JOURNAL OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY February 2004

a Whip-Mix and a Hanau articulator. The advantage of this modication allows the technician to remove a mounted cast (with mounting ring) from a Whip-Mix or Hanau articulator and quickly place it onto a cast holder at a predetermined path of insertion (Figure 2). Once the cast is tripoded to the path of insertion, it may be removed and replaced onto the cast holder repeatedly, as long as the tilt is not altered. The modications described here may be made by purchasing new parts from the respective articulator manufacturers, or may be scavenged from existing unserviceable instruments. This article will describe the procedures necessary to remove the required parts from unserviceable articulators. Parts of the cast holder have been given descriptive names to facilitate the modication process (Figure 3).

Figure 4 Figure 5b

Figure 5a

Modication Instructions: Whip-Mix

1. 2. 3. Remove the mounting ring screw and knob by loosening the set-screw with an Allen wrench (Figure 4). Remove the anti-rotational pin from the articulator with a nail punch and hammer (Figure 5a). Separate the cast holder table from the surveyors base by removing the retaining screw below the table, allowing it to separate at the ball pivot (Figure 5b). Remove the surveyors movable clamping jaw by turning the clamp adjusting screw until it is removed (Figure 6).

What You Need to Make the Modications

4.

(continued next page)

Figure 6a

Figure 6b

Instruments and Materials: Awl Hammer Vise Pliers Small nail punch Electric hand drill (or drill press) and drill bits (3/16, 11/64); Pilot point drill bits needed for Hanau modication (Black and Decker Part # 14221) Whip-Mix Hex Driver Part # 8614 (Allen wrench - 3/32) Epoxy cement (Duro Master Mend, Loctite Corp.) Screwdriver, at head Whip-Mix parts: Anti-rotational pin # 8810 Mounting ring set screw # 8548 Knob # 8508 Mounting ring screw # 8507 Mounting ring, metal

Figure 7a

Figure 7b

Hanau parts required: Mounting Plate Stud Assy. Part #005266-000 Dowel Part # 005241 Mounting Plates Part #005057 Several washers with diameter hole

QUIZ: Receive 1/2 point CDT or RG documented scienFigure 8

tic credit for reading this article and passing the quiz! To get your credit, complete the quiz located on the NADL Web site at www.nadl.org under the Certication Section, or call the NBC Fax-on-Demand at (877) 355-8029, Press 1 for NBC documents, and enter document number 41 to have the quiz sent to your fax machine. Once completed, mail or fax to NBC at (850) 222-0053. This quiz is provided to test the technicians comprehension of the articles content and does not necessarily serve as an endorsement of the content by NADL or NBC.

February 2004 JOURNAL OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY 27

The Mod Squad, continued from page 27

Save this piece, it will be utilized later to hold the anti-rotational pin. Remove the clamp adjusting screw. Place the clamp adjusting screw knob in a vise with the small end of the retaining pin facing up. Remove the retaining pin by forcing it out with a small punch, hammer and pliers (Figures 6 and 7). Remove the clamp adjusting screw and discard. Remove the two stationary jaw clamps using a separating disk (Figure 8). Remove any excess material to create a ush surface. Mark a spot 10mm from the back of the cast holder table, centered where the clamp adjusting screw was previously located (Figure 9). Drill a 3/16 hole completely through the survey table at this location. Insert the articulator mounting ring screw through the top of the table and attach the knob with the mounting ring setscrew (Figure 10). Modify the sliding jaw clamp by separating the jaw from the slide with a separating disk (Figure 11). Remove any excess material to create a ush surface. Position this slide onto the survey table until it is as far posterior as possible (Figure 12). Cement this piece to the survey table with epoxy cement. 9.

5.

Figure 9a

Figure 9b Figure 11a

6.

Figure 10

7.

8.

Figure 11b

Figure 12

Figure 13a

Figure 13b

Figure 14a Figure 14b

Make a drill guide using a metal mounting ring. Drill an 11/64 guide hole from the bottom through the mounting ring in the anterior anti-rotational notch (Figure 13). Attach this mounting ring to the table and center the guide hole over the cemented slide. Drill a hole using a 3/16 drill bit (Figure 14a) to allow the anti-rotational pin to protrude no more than 4mm above the slide. If the pin protrudes more than 4mm, it will prevent the mounting ring from completely seating on the table. Verify the t and correct if necessary. Cement the anti-rotational pin into the slide with epoxy cement. This completes the modication procedure for the Whip-Mix articulator. The cast holder may easily be converted to accept the magnetic attachment by removing the mounting ring screw assembly and replacing it with the magnetic assembly (Figure 14b). Remove the screw cover from the upper mounting ring knob with an awl. Carefully pry off the cover, exposing the retaining screw. Remove this knob from the articulator member by placing the upper member in a vise. With a punch, carefully force the mounting ring screw downward, separating it from the mounting ring knob. Be careful not to damage the internal threads (Figure 15).

Modication Instructions: Hanau

1.

2.

28 JOURNAL OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY February 2004

3. 4.

5.

6. 7.

8. 9.

Remove the anti-rotational pin from the upper articulator member using a punch. Mark a spot 7mm from the back of the cast holder table, centered where the clamp adjusting screw was previously located. Drill a hole at this location for the mounting ring screw. This is accomplished in two steps. First, drill a countersink 3mm deep into the cast holder table, using a 5/16 pilot point drill bit. Second, drill through the remainder of the table using a 1/4 drill bit (Figure 16). Alter and place the moveable clamping jaw by following step 6 in the Whip-Mix instructions. After allowing adhesive to completely dry, mark a spot approximately 25mm from the back of the table and drill a 3/16 hole centered into the cemented slide. The hole must allow the pin to protrude no more than 3mm from the top of the slide (see Whip-Mix step 9). Cement the anti-rotational pin in the slide and allow it to dry. Attach the mounting ring screw by placing the screw through the top of the table and shim the bottom with washers (at least 3mm in thickness). Attach the knob to the mounting ring screw. Use a vise to press the screw into the

knob (Figure 17). The washers take up space to prevent the threads of the mounting ring screw from bottoming out in the mounting ring, thus preventing the contact between the survey table and the mounting ring. Replace the retaining screw into the mounting ring screw. This completes the modication procedure for the Hanau articulator (Figure 18). The modications to this piece of equipment have become a valuable asset to technicians who fabricate survey crowns. It creates an easy way to save time and increases the quality and accuracy of restorations. Henson

About the authors:

Tech. Sgt. Robert Henson, CDT, and Col. Randall Duncan, DDS, MS helped edit the Air Force Pamphlet 47-103, Volumes I and II on dental technology, which will be released in electronic form this spring. Duncan

Figure 15a

Figure 16a

Figure 17a Figure 17b

Figure 18 Figure 16b Figure 15b

February 2004 JOURNAL OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY 29