Af Chapter 9 Casting

Casting
Dr. Asad Farooq

BDS, MDS, Cont. (Dental Materials)
Dow University Of Health Sciences,
Department Incharge (Dental Materials)
Liaquat College of Medicine and Dentistry.
Definition
 Casting is a process by which a wax

pattern of a dental restoration is converted
into an exact replicate in a dental alloy.
Lost Wax Technique
 A wax pattern of a tooth/teeth is made on

a die.
 ► Sprue/sprues, base are added.
 ► Sprue and pattern are invested.
 ► Whole assembly is placed into an oven

to burn out the wax (hence the name lost
wax tech).
 ► Space created by de-waxing is filled
with molten metal/alloy.
INDICATIONS
Casting process is used to fabricate several types of

Dental Restorations.
 Full Cast Crowns
 Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns (PFM)
 Partial Dentures Bases
 Inlays
 All-ceramic Crowns
 Complete Dentures Bases
STEPS OF CASTING PROCEDURE
1. Formation of Wax Pattern
2. Sprueing of Wax Pattern
3. Investing of Wax Pattern
4. Burn out of Wax Pattern
5. Casting
6. Retrieving
7. Pickling
8. Removing of Sprue and Polish
9. Deliver to Patient
1.FORMATION OF WAX PATTERN
 Wax pattern can be made by

two techniques
Direct Technique
 Wax pattern is made directly
on the prepared tooth in the
mouth. e.g. Inlay Direct Technique
Indirect Technique
 Wax pattern is prepared on a
model or a die.
Indirect Technique
INDIRECT WAX PATTERN
 Prepare the tooth / teeth.
 Make an impression.
 Pour the impression to make a positive
cast.
 Make a wax pattern on the cast that will
be a representative of the lost tooth
structure.
 Wax may be adapted to the die or
model by a brush or by flowing it over
the die.
INDIRECT WAX PATTERN
 Lubricant is used on die, so that wax
pattern can easily be removed from the
die.
Wax Pattern
 Die spacer is used to create space for
the luting cement in the final restoration.
 Remove the wax pattern from the die
and place again after correcting the
margins including occlusion and
proximal contacts.
Lubricant Die
2. SPRUEING OF THE WAX PATTERN
Sprue
 A channel in the refractory investment
through which the molten alloy can reach the
mold after the wax has been eliminated.
 This is created by sprue former.
 Sprue former is usually made of wax.
 It results in a channel after the wax has been
removed.
Sprue Base
 A concave area on the top of the dental mold
into which molten metal or alloy is forced.
PURPOSE OF SPRUEING
 To create a channel for
elimination of wax during
burnout.
 To form a channel for the
entrance of molten alloy during
casting.
 To compensate for alloy
shrinkage by maintaining a
continuous flow of metal during
solidification (reservoir).
 To mount the wax pattern.
NUMBER OF SPRUE
 Single sprue ► crown and inlays.
 Multiple sprues ► for large Castings, two or more
sprues may be needed in order to ensure that molten
alloy is able to reach all parts of the mold cavity.
Single Sprue Multiple Sprues

LOCATION OF SPRUE
 It should be attached to the bulkiest portion of the
pattern.
 To avoid distorting thin sections of the wax pattern
during attachment and to permit complete flow of
the alloy into the mould cavity.
Attachment of sprue
 When attaching the sprue, the point of contact

should be flared  Allows more even flow of the
molten metal into the mold.
 It will result in a less porosity in the casting.
 It is best for the molten alloy to flow from a thick
section to surrounding thin areas rather than the
reverse.
SPRUE SIZE AND DESIGN
 Must be wide enough so that it may remain open until

casting solidifies (acts as reservoir).
 It should be short enough to allow rapid filling of the
mold cavity.
DIAMETER OF SPRUE
 Sprue former should have a diameter approx the

same size as the thickest area of the wax pattern.
 If pattern is small, the sprue former should also be
small.
 If diameter is too small, this area will solidify before
casting and it will result in suck-back porosity.
 Attaching a large sprue former to thin delicate wax
pattern can cause distortions.
POSITION OF WAX PATTERN
 The pattern should be 6mm away from the end of the
ring to ensure the removal of the gases, during the entry
of molten metals.
POSITION OF WAX PATTERN
 Pattern should be positioned close to the surface ► it
will cool down before the sprue, which allow the flow of
the metal.
 If the pattern is less than 6 mm from the end, thickness
of the investment will not be enough to keep the molten
alloy from breaking through the investment material.
3. INVESTING THE WAX PATTERN
 Investing: is the process by which the
sprued wax pattern is embedded in an
investment material. Metallic Ring
 Ring Liner: is a layer of material, lining

the inside of the casting ring.
 Materials Used: ceramic paper liner,
cellulose liner, asbestose liner.
 One or two liners are used (approx. 1
Ceramic Paper Liner
mm thick).
 Asbestos became increasingly popular among
manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century
because of its
 Sound absorption,
 Average tensile strength, and
 Resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage.
 Traditionally asbestos is, no longer in use because

of carcinogenicity.
 Two materials are in use
1. Ceramic liner
2. Cellulose liner.
 For uniform expansion, cut the liner to fit the inside

diameter of the casting ring with no overlap.
 Increasing no. of layers=increasing expansion so 2

layers of liner can be used to cause increase
expansion.
INVESTING THE WAX PATTERN
Functions of Liner
 The most commonly used technique to Metallic Ring
provide investment expansion is to line
the walls of the ring with a ring liner.
 Acts as an insulator, it reduces the loss
of heat as the ring is transferred from the
furnace to the casting machine.
 After casting, it permits easy separation
Ceramic Paper Liner
of the investment from the ring.
INVESTING THE WAX PATTERN
 The wax pattern should be cleaned, no debris, oil.
 Wax pattern should be invested as soon as
possible in order to avoid distortion in the pattern.
 Wax cleaners can be used. A thin layer of cleanser
can be left on the pattern permits better wetting of
the investment.
4. BURN OUT OF WAX PATTERN
 After 45 – 60 min when the investment has hardened,
metallic ring is placed into the burnout oven to begin
eliminating of the wax from the mold.
 Keep the pattern in the oven to completely eliminate the
wax pattern and formation of mold cavity.
 For gypsum bonded (500-700c), phosphate bonded
(700-1030c).
5. CASTING
 Casting is a process by which a wax pattern of a dental

restoration is converted into an exact replicate in a
dental alloy.
 Numerous types of casting machines are available,
alloys are melted in one of the following ways
depending on available machine.
1. The alloy is melted in a separate crucible by torch flame and
is cast into the mold by centrifugal force.
2. The alloy is melted electrically by induction furnace than
cast into the mold centrifugally by motor or spring action.
CASTING
3. The alloy may be melted by one of several methods
including gas-air torch, electrical induction heating or
electrical resistance melting.
4. The molten alloy may be driven into the mould by
centrifugal force, gravity, air pressure, steam pressure.
 Most popular system in current use is that the alloy is
melted using electrical induction heating and then
forced into the mould using centrifugal force.
 Centrifugal casting machine works on the principal of
centrifugal force.
CASTING
 Machine may be revolved with a spring or an electric

motor.
 When the metal is completely molten, the hot casting
ring is placed behind the crucible that contains the
motel metal.
 Crucible and ring assembly ► spun rapidly, which
accelerates the metal into casting ring ► this process
takes less than 1 sec.
Molten metal Centrifugal force
Air / gases
Mould cavity
6. RETRIEVING
 First cooling to room temp.
 Light sand blasting in a sand blaster equipment.
 Fine aluminum oxide particles are used for blasting
under control pressure for about 5 sec.
7. PICKLING
 It is a process of cleansing a newly cast metallic

surfaces and removal of oxides and other impurities
from metal objects by immersion in an acid solution. e.g.
sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid etc.
 It is done by placing the casting in a test tube or dish.
Heat 50% HCl or H2SO4 and poured over it.
7. PICKLING
 Casting appears dark due to oxides and tarnishing such a
film is removed by a process known as pickling i.e. heating
the discoloured casting in acid.
 HCl advantage: removes residual investment plus oxide

layer.
 Disadvantage: can corrode metal framework. Picking can

be performed ultrasonically in which the prosthesis is
sealed in Teflon container. If heat avoid boiling.
8. REMOVING OF SPRUE AND POLISH
 After pickling, sprue is removed by a disc.

 Recontouring is accomplished using coarse stones.
 Rubber wheels with impregnated abrasives are used
for polishing.
 Margins, proximal areas and occlusal contacts must
be protected.
 Restoration must be smooth and luster after polishing.
9. DELIVER TO PATIENT
 Delivered to Dentist.
 Trial
 Inserted ► fixed ► luting cement. e.g. GIC Luting.
FAULTS IN CASTINGS
 There are basically four types of faults:

1. Finning and Bubbling
2. Incomplete Casting
3. Porosity in Casting
4. Oversize or Undersized Casting.
FINNING & BUBBLING
Rapid heating
Finning
 Investment is heated up, too
rapidly in the furnace
 ► Cracking of investment
 ► Molten alloy flows into the
cracks forming thin “fins” on the Cracks on the inner
casting. surface of investment
Fins
Cast
FINNING & BUBBLING
Bubbling
Bubbling
 It appears in the form of the on the cast
spheres on the surface of the
cast.
 This problem can be overcome
by vacuum investing.
 Finning and bubbling increase
the time req. to finish.
 If the defects are near critical Porosities
area, may need recasting.
INCOMPLETE CASTING
 Reasons for Incomplete Casting.
Location and Number of Sprues
 If the alloy is not properly melted or if the mold
temperature is too low ► solidification occurs before
the mold cavity can be properly filled.
 Point of attachment of sprues is a common site for
defects ► excessive sprues should be avoided.
INCOMPLETE CASTING
 Thinner sections freeze first ► contract

and draw molten material from the
remaining portion.
 A reservoir of metal is present within
the sprues, if these are of sufficient
thickness.
INCOMPLETE CASTING
 Back pressure ► Inability of air or other gases within

the mould to escape.
 Thickness of investment between the casting and end
of the ring should be thin (6mm).
 Vent (0.5mm diameter) may also be provided towards
the crucible end of the mould.
POROSITY
 Due to the presence of broken pieces of investment or

dirt in the cast material.
 All casting moulds should be handled with the sprue
downward.
 Gaseous porosity: Due to incorporation of gases in the
molten alloys.
 This type of porosity can be reduced by avoiding
overheating or casting in vacuum.
UNDER OR OVERSIZE CASTING
 The major reason for the dimensional changes in the

casting procedure is the casting shrinkage of the alloy
which should be compensated by setting and thermal
expansion of investment.
 The reason for this fault is, not heating the investment
mould to a high enough temperature.
 Choice of impression material and impression
technique may also influence the final result.

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Casting

Dr. Asad Farooq

 Casting is a process by which a wax

 A wax pattern of a tooth/teeth is made on

 ► Sprue and pattern are invested.

 ► Whole assembly is placed into an oven

Casting process is used to fabricate several types of

 Wax pattern can be made by

Single Sprue Multiple Sprues

 When attaching the sprue, the point of contact

 Must be wide enough so that it may remain open until

 Sprue former should have a diameter approx the

 Ring Liner: is a layer of material, lining

 Traditionally asbestos is, no longer in use because

 For uniform expansion, cut the liner to fit the inside

 Increasing no. of layers=increasing expansion so 2

 Casting is a process by which a wax pattern of a dental

 Machine may be revolved with a spring or an electric

 It is a process of cleansing a newly cast metallic

 HCl advantage: removes residual investment plus oxide

 Disadvantage: can corrode metal framework. Picking can

 After pickling, sprue is removed by a disc.

 There are basically four types of faults:

 Thinner sections freeze first ► contract

 Back pressure ► Inability of air or other gases within

 Due to the presence of broken pieces of investment or

 The major reason for the dimensional changes in the

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