Comparison of accuracy of multiunit one-piece castings

An investigation was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of one-piece castings of FPDs consisting of three, four, and five units with a ceramometal alloy cast in a large circular ring. A three-piece aluminum mold with stainless steel dies simulating the various lengths of the FPDs was used. A total of 18 castings, six castings for each FPD, were fabricated. Marginal discrepancies of the castings on the dies and the length of the castings were compared before and after sectioning the castings at the connectors. The following conclusions were drawn from the study. Seating of the castings improved approximately 50% after sectioning, which indicates that the castings were distorted. The distortion was a three-dimensional phenomenon, with the greatest discrepancy on the mesiogingival surface of the anterior retainer and on the distolingual surface of the posterior retainer. The distortion was least for the three-unit FPDs and greatest for the five-unit FPDs. The lingual-facial diameter of the castings at the gingival axial line angle was significantly larger than the dies in most cases. The mesiodistal diameter of the castings at the gingival axial line angle was smaller than that of the dies but was only significant with the three-unit FPDs. Although the castings were slightly oversized or undersized, the primary reason the castings did not seat was warpage.