Stabilizing the Carbon Marker During Surveying: An Innovative Technique

Dental surveyor has been defined as an instrument used to determine the relative parallelism of two or more surfaces of the teeth or other parts of the cast of a dental arch. Therefore the primary purpose of surveying is to identify the modifications of oral structures that are necessary to fabricate a removable partial denture that will have a successful prognosis. It is the modification of tooth surfaces to accommodate placement of the component parts of the partial denture in their designated ideal position on abutment teeth that facilitates this prognosis. Routinely, during marking the survey line, the carbon marker breaks many a times, as it is somehow brittle in structure, even after holding it in the metal sheath. This unnecessarily lengthens the working time of the operator as well as laboratory personnel. In the above mentioned new technique, the plastic refill sheath holds the carbon marker easily and securely. This serves the marking on the cast without breakage of carbon marker, thus saves the operator's time. The plastic refill sheath is easily available and economical.