SURVEYOR AND IT'S RECENT ADVACEMENTS MODERN TECHNIQUES IMPROVING ACCURACY IN REMOVABLE PROSTHODONTICS

Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are a reliable treatment option whose success depends on proper planning and design. A dental surveyor is essential for surveying and designing RPDs to ensure adequate retention, support, stability, and esthetics. It was first introduced to dentistry by Dr. A. J. Fortunati in 1918 and functions as a parallelometer used to determine the parallelism of tooth surfaces and parts of a dental cast. The instrument consists of a horizontal platform, vertical arm, surveying arm, and an adjustable survey table. Modern surveyors include improvements such as better illumination, multiple surveying arms, undercut gauges, and laser projection to detect undercuts. Ideally, the clinician surveys the cast and designs the RPD before sending instructions to the dental technician. The surveyor helps locate guiding planes, identify retentive undercuts, detect interferences affecting insertion and removal, evaluate esthetics, analyze tooth contours, and assist in blocking out undercuts on master casts, making it a cornerstone instrument in prosthodontics.