Casting Procedures

The casting process is an essential part of the modern practice of dentistry. The elimination of the casting process in dental practice would create a serious impasse in our profession. Casting is the process by which a wax pattern of restoration is converted to a replicate in a dental alloy which may be for restoration of lost tooth structure, the replacement of teeth by means of fixed and removable partial denture prosthesis, and full mouth rehabilitation. The age-old concept of the casting of glass gave birth to the present procedure of casting, by which dental crown can be produced likewise. The lost wax casting process is the most common procedure for making cast dental restorations. The casting procedure as such consists of forming a pattern, surrounding it with investment material, and later heating the investment mold to remove the wax before casting the molten metal into the mold. In dentistry, the resultant casting must be an accurate reproduction of the tooth structure, which is to be replaced, in both surface details and overall dimension. Since the castings must meet stringent dimensional requirements, the casting process is extremely demanding.