DENTAL TECHNOLOGY

Kenneth D. Rudd

A simple technique for exposing margins on a solid working cast

Richard J. Windhorn, DMDa
United States Army Heidelberg Dental Activity, Heidelberg, Germany
Removable dies used in fixed prosthodontics typically exhibit movement. A solid working cast permits the technician to perfect the interproximal contacts of fixed prostheses. This saves the clinician
time at the insertion appointment. This article describes a quick and easy procedure for making a
solid working cast with easily visualized margins. (J Prosthet Dent 1998;80:246-8.)

raditionally, the laboratory phase of fixed prosthodontics involves fabrication of removable dies indexed
to a solid base. Various methods are available to the
technician to fabricate these dies. All are subject to
varying degrees of play, depending on how accurately the die is keyed to the base.1 This mobility of the die
in its base can lead to proximal contacts that may not
be accurate as compared with the clinical situation.
Typically, the proximal contacts of restorations fabricated on removable dies are too tight intraorally and must
be adjusted at the time of insertion.2 This adds to chair
time for the patient, lowers the patients confidence in
the dental team, and may result in an additional
appointment if the restoration must be returned to the
laboratory for modification.
Often in fixed prosthodontics, it is beneficial to fabricate a solid working cast in addition to individual dies
of the teeth being restored. A good example is when
verifying the fit of a fixed partial denture after casting.
If the fit is not accurate, the casting can be sectioned
and soldered on the solid cast before application of
porcelain and finishing. It has been shown that a solid
working cast is more accurate for fabricating proximal
contacts on fixed restorations than removable dies.3
Aramouni4 found that intact working casts were more
accurate than the Pindex system (Whaledent International, New York, N.Y.). It has been shown that finishing crowns and fixed partial dentures on a solid working cast minimizes adjustment time at the chair.2,5-7
Because dies are part of a single solid cast, there is no
chance for movement. When a restoration that is too
tight interproximally is seated on removable dies, the
dies will be wedged apart and actually lift slightly from
the base. When a restoration that is too tight interproximally is seated on a solid cast, it will not fully seat
to the margins; provided the proximal contacts of the
adjacent teeth have not been abraded.
So the technician may fully visualize the seating of
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do
not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.
aMajor, Dental Corps, U.S. Army; Chief, Prosthodontic Services at
Patrick Henry Village Dental Clinic.
246 THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY

Fig. 1. Inspection of final impression.

the restoration on the cast, the margins of the prepared

teeth must be completely exposed. One method of
exposing the margins on the cast involves grinding the
stone away with small round burs after the stone has
fully hardened2; however, this is a time-consuming and
tedious process. This article describes a simple procedure that uses readily available materials to save time
and leave margins exposed on the resulting solid cast.

PROCEDURE
1. Obtain a final impression of the prepared teeth
with a polyvinyl siloxane or polyether impression
material and inspect to ensure that all margins have
been adequately captured (Fig. 1).
2. After appropriate disinfection procedures have
been completed, dry the impression with a stream
of compressed oil-free air.
3. Pour the impression in die stone and fabricate
removable dies in the usual manner (Fig. 2). Use
the removable dies to fabricate the wax pattern for
casting.
4. Take a second impression, or after separation of
the removable dies, take the original impression
and prepare for a second pour.
5. Under magnification, apply a bead of wax (for
example, inlay, baseplate, and so forth) around the
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THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY

Fig. 5. Steam cleaning removal of wax.

Fig. 2. Removable die ready for waxing.

Fig. 6. Smoothing of rough areas.

Fig. 3. Bead of wax applied around margins of impression.

Fig. 7. Solid cast with margins well-exposed.

Fig. 4. Solid cast immediately after separation from impression.

margin areas of each preparation that needs exposure (Fig. 3).

6. After the wax has cooled to room temperature,
pour the impression in dental stone in the usual
manner.
AUGUST 1998

7. When the cast has hardened sufficiently (45 to 60

minutes), separate it from the impression and
inspect it for voids and other discrepancies. (Usually the wax will adhere to the cast [Fig. 4].)
8. Remove the wax from the stone with a pressurized
steam cleaner (Fig. 5). Caution must be used during this step to avoid damaging the stone.
247

THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY

WINDHORN

9. Smooth any rough or jagged edges of remaining

stone by using a sharp instrument or laboratory
bur (Fig. 6).
The final result is a cast with clean, easily visualized,
exposed margins accomplished with a minimum of
materials and time (Figs. 7 and 8). This solid cast is
used to verify the fit of fixed partial dentures and to
adjust proximal contacts.

DISCUSSION
Some possible complications may result from this
technique. Flow of excess wax over the margins of the
preparation will result in a deficient margin area on the
cast, which could lead to errors in assessing complete
seating of the restoration on the solid cast. Insufficient
removal of wax from the cast could contaminate or
interfere with prosthesis construction. If the original
impression is poured a second time for the solid cast, it
is possible that it may have distorted or been damaged
during removal from the first pour for dies. To ensure
accuracy of both, two impressions are recommended.
Wet dental stone is weaker and abrades more easily than
dry stone.8 Excessive pressure from the steam cleaner
may cause damage to the cast if not used with caution.
This precaution may be avoided by using a sharp
instrument to remove the wax from the cast instead of
steam cleaning. The wax will readily break free of the
stone, but is sometimes difficult to remove from less
accessible areas between teeth with an instrument.
The bead of wax around the preparation eliminates
the normal contours of the gingiva on the stone cast.
This may cause discrepancies in constructing proper
emergence profile of the restoration. If the gingival
contours are critical for a specific case, a soft tissue cast
is recommended.9
Several benefits are realized with this technique. It is
less time-consuming than other techniques used in the
laboratory to construct solid working casts. When the
steam cleaner is used properly and with caution, there
is less danger of damaging the margins of prepared
teeth on the cast than by mechanical trimming. This
technique is easily accomplished with a minimum of
readily available resources. Perhaps the most beneficial
aspect of this technique is that a considerable amount

248 THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY

Fig. 8. Solid cast ready for use as described.

of chair time is saved at the restoration insertion

appointment.
REFERENCES
1. Miranda FJ, Dilts WE, Duncanson MG Jr, Collard EW. Comparative stability of two removable die systems. J Prosthet Dent 1976;36:326-33.
2. Rhoads JE, Rudd KD, Morrow RM. Dental laboratory procedures. Vol. 2.
St Louis: CV Mosby; 1986. p. 252-4.
3. Johnston JF, Phillips RW, Dykema RW. Modern practice in crown and
bridge prosthodontics. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1971. p. 217.
4. Aramouni P. A comparison of the accuracy of two removable die systems
with intact working casts. Int J Prosthodont 1993;6:533-9.
5. Welk DA, Duncanson MG, Collard EW, Shillingburg HT Jr. Assembling,
soldering, and finishing fixed restorations. In: Clarks clinical dentistry.
Vol. 4. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott; 1988. p. 1-6.
6. Rosenstiel SF, Land MF, Fujimoto J. Contemporary fixed prosthodontics.
2nd ed. St Louis: CV Mosby; 1995. p. 361-82.
7. Shillingburg HT, Hobo S, Whitsett LD. Fundamentals of Fixed Prosthodontics. 2nd ed. Chicago: Quintessence Publishing; 1981. p. 241-2.
8. Craig RG. Restorative dental materials. 9th ed. St Louis: CV Mosby; 1993.
p. 344-5.
9. Williamson RT, Breeding LC, Kinderknecht KE. Soft tissue cast aids in
establishing interproximal contours for restorations. J Prosthet Dent
1993;69:630-1.

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