Acrylic resin jigs as an aid to parallel
guiding plane preparation
Tom Canning, BDentSc, MFD (RCSI),a and Michael O’Sullivan,
BDentSc, MSc, PhDb
Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Guiding planes are defined as ver-
tically parallel surfaces on abutment
teeth and/or dental implant abut-
ments orientated to contribute to the
direction of the path of placement
and removal of a removable dental
prosthesis.1 The functions of guid-
ing planes include2: (1) providing 1
path of placement/removal of a pros-
thesis, thereby eliminating excessive
stress upon either the restoration or
the abutment teeth; (2) ensuring the
intended action of various reciprocat-
ing, stabilizing, and retentive com-
ponents; (3) aiding with retention
against dislodging forces other than
those acting parallel to a given path
of insertion and stabilizing against
horizontally directed forces, and (4)
eliminating troublesome food traps.
Miller3 stated that flat surfaces
eliminate horizontal forces upon the
abutment tooth as the guiding plate
or minor connector moves past it.
This will not occur when the prosthesis
contacts a convex surface. Such con-
tact would tend to deflect the tooth
within its alveolar housing, and over a
period of time, this repeated trauma
may be detrimental to the abutment
tooth. The RPI system described by
Krol4 attempts to manage the inevi-
table tissue-ward displacement of a
distal extension base under occlusal
loading. The distal guide plane is inte-
gral to its function. The guiding plane
is positioned in the occlusal one third
Postgraduate prosthodontic student, Division of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology.
a
Senior Lecturer, Consultant, Restorative Dentistry (Special Needs), Division of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology.
b
(J Prosthet Dent 2008;99:162-164)
The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry
of the proximal surface. When occlu-
sal pressure is exerted on the artificial
teeth, the proximal plate moves tis-
sue-ward without torquing the abut-
ment tooth.
When a retentive arm flexes over
the height of contour, a horizon-
tal force is placed on the abutment
tooth.5,6 The length of the guiding
plane required to balance this force
has been shown to vary with the de-
gree of undercut used,7 and its loca-
tion should diametrically oppose the
retentive element if it also has a recip-
rocating function. Ideally, the guid-
ing plane should extend one third the
buccolingual width of the tooth, and
its vertical extension should be from
the marginal ridge to the junction of
the middle and gingival thirds.2
Different techniques have been
described to facilitate the transfer of
the orientation of the guiding planes
from the surveying instrument in-
traorally. One technique involves pre-
paring the surfaces and making an
impression which is poured into quick
setting plaster. The resultant cast can
be verified for parallelism on the sur-
veyor prior to making definitive im-
pressions.2 An alternative method is
to trial prepare the guiding planes on
diagnostic casts and then highlight
this area in colored pencil. This can
then be brought chairside and used as
an aid in tooth preparation.3 A bur set
parallel to the path of insertion and
fixed within a modelling plastic index
fabricated on the surveyor is also of
use in transferring this information.8
This article describes a method for
accurately transferring guiding planes
from a diagnostic cast to the mouth,
thus ensuring relative parallelism for
a given path of insertion. At the treat-
ment planning stage, jigs are made on
the diagnostic casts, and the selected
path of insertion is indicated on them.
These jigs are then used clinically to
ensure the relative parallelism of guid-
ing plane preparation for a selected
path of insertion. In the patient sce-
nario presented, guiding planes were
prepared on the mesial surface of the
mandibular right second molar, the
distal surface of the mandibular right
first premolar, and the distal surface
of the mandibular left first premolar.
PROCEDURE
1. Make mounted diagnostic casts
in type V stone (Jade Stone; Whip Mix
Corp, Louisville, Ky) from preliminary
impressions.
2. Complete the final design of
the removable partial denture using a
surveyor (Ney; Dentsply Intl, York, Pa)
and plan the position of the guiding
planes.
3. Fabricate autopolymerizing
acrylic resin jigs (Snap; Parkell Inc,
Edgewood, NY). Lightly coat the cast
with petroleum jelly (Vaseline; Unilev-
Canning and O’Sullivan
February 2008 163
er Home and Personal Care, Kingston
Upon Thames, UK). Mix the acrylic
resin and mold it to fit the edentulous
spaces as shown in Figure 1, A. Ob-
tain support for the jig primarily from
the occlusal aspect of the adjacent
teeth on each side of the edentulous
space and from the edentulous ridge
in distal extension situations.
4. Relieve the acrylic resin from
the buccal surface of the jig so that
the area to be reduced on the tooth is
clearly accessible with the jig in place.
5. Remove and replace the jig
while still at a rubbery consistency to
prevent it from becoming locked into
areas of undercut. A
6. When the resin has complete-
ly polymerized, trim and polish to
achieve a flat surface parallel to the
path of insertion using an acrylic
resin bur (#95; Harry J. Bosworth Co,
Skokie, Ill).
7. With the cast still in the survey-
or, place a permanent mark as close to
the area to be reduced as feasible (Fig.
1, A) using an alcohol pen (Staedtler;
Mars GmbH & Co, Nuremberg, Ger-
many). Use an analyzing rod for this
purpose. B
8. Evaluate the jig intraorally at the
tooth preparation visit. Dry the teeth
and carefully draw a line on the tooth
parallel to the adjacent line on the jig
using a sterile surgical marking pen
(Surgiscribe; Fabco, New London,
Conn). Draw a series of dots on the
tooth surface and join these to obtain
a more reliable parallel line (Fig. 1, B
and C).
9. Using these lines as a guide,
prepare the guiding planes with a
parallel-sided diamond rotary cutting C
instrument (FG575; KerrHawe, Biog- 1 A, Acrylic resin jig molded to edentulous area and supported by adjacent
gio, Switzerland) and polish with a occlusal surfaces. B, Transfer of path of insertion to abutment tooth. C, Line
straight-sided finishing bur (FG4205L; completed indicating chosen path of insertion on abutment tooth.
KerrHawe).
10. Pour a cast of the prepared
surfaces and confirm that these are
parallel to the chosen path of inser-
tion (Fig. 2).

Canning and O’Sullivan

164 Volume 99 Issue 2
1971;25:21-43.
6. Cecconi BT, Asgar K, Dootz E. The effect
of partial denture clasp design on abut-
ment tooth movement. J Prosthet Dent
1971;25:44-56.
7. Stern WJ. Guiding planes in clasp recip-
rocation and retention. J Prosthet Dent
1975:34:408-14.
8. Krikos AA. Preparing guide planes for
removable partial dentures. J Prosthet Dent
1975;34:152-5.

2 Guiding plane prepared parallel to path of insertion.
REFERENCES
1. The glossary of prosthodontic terms. J
Prosthet Dent 2005;94:42.
2. Carr AB, McGivney GP, Brown DT. Mc-
Cracken’s removable partial prosthodon-
tics. 11th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2005. p.
155, 256.
Corresponding author:
Dr Tom Canning
Division of Restorative Dentistry and Peri-
odontology
Dublin Dental Hospital
Lincoln Place
Dublin 2
IRELAND
Fax: 003-531-6127297
E-mail: tom.canning@dental.tcd.ie
3. Miller EL. Removable partial prosthodon-
tics. 2nd ed. Baltimore/London: Williams Contributing author:
and Wilkins; 1981. p. 132. W.E. McDevitt, BDS, PhD, Professor Emeritus,
4. Krol AJ. RPI (rest, proximal plate, I bar) Division of Restorative Dentistry and Peri-
clasp retainer and its modifications. Dent odontology, Dublin Dental Hospital.
Clin North Am 1973;17:631-49.
5. Clayton JA, Jaslow C. A measurement
Copyright © 2008 by the Editorial Council for
of clasp forces on teeth. J Prosthet Dent
The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.

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