S. M.

Forhad Arefin
FCPS Trainee

Chairman of the session

Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman
BDS, DDS, PhD
Associate Professor & Chairman
Department of Prosthodontics
Faculty of Dentistry
BSMMU, Dhaka

Moderator
Dr. Md. Amzad Hossain
FCPS, MS, MSc,BDS
Assistant Professor
Department of Prosthodontics
Faculty of Dentistry
BSMMU, Dhaka

Special Tray
A special tray is defined as, A custom made
device prepared for a particular patient which is
used to carry, confine and control an impression
material while making an impression.

Ideal characteristics of special tray:

A special tray should be

1. well adapted
2. dimensionally stable

3. free of voids and projections

4. 2-3 mm thick
5. with a handle

Characteristics continued

6. Rigid even in thin section.

Special tray should not
7. Bind to the cast and should be
easy to remove.
8. React with the impression
material.
9. The flanges should be 2-4 mm
short of the reflections.
10. The proposed denture
bearing area of the denture
should be reflected in the
trays extension.

Materials used to fabricate special tray:

1. Auto polymerizing acrylic resin.
2. Shellac
3. Vacuum or pressure-formed thermoplastic

resin sheets.
4. Tray compound

FABRICATION
A. Preparation of the primary cast :
1. Undercuts should be find out with the
help of surveyor and should be blocked out .

2. Out line of the border of the tray should be

marked with pencil which is 2/3 mm short
of the reflection.
3.The relief areas should also be marked in
the cast.
4. The border of the tray marked on the cast
may be grooved deeper using a carver.

B. Adapting the relief wax:

Relief wax should be adapted over the

relief areas marked on the cast.

Relief areas are:

In maxilla

In mandible

Incisive papilla

Crest of the residual ridge

Canine eminence

Mental foramen

Mid palatine raphe

Genial tubercles

Fovea palatinae

Torus mandibularis

Sharp spiny ridges

Mylohyoid ridge

Torus palatinus
Bony prominences
Undercut ridge

Materials for giving relief:

a. Baseplate wax
b. Non asbestos casting liner.

C. Adapting the spacer:

A spacer should be adapted throughout the

extent of special tray( coincide with the second line),

except posterior palatal seal area in maxilla and buccal
shelf area in mandible.

Spacer continued

Function:
a. The spacer allows the tray to be properly
positioned in the mouth during border molding procedure.
b. To allow the impression to have an even
thickness of impression material.
c. Prevent distortion of the material at final
stage.

Materials used:
a. Baseplate wax
b. Non asbestos casting liner

Spacer continued

Thickness of the spacer for different impression

material:
Zn oxide eugenol paste
0.5 mm
Alginate
3 mm
Elastomeric
0.5-1.5 mm
Plaster

1.5 mm
or

Zn oxide eugenol paste

Alginate
Polysulphide, Silicones
Plaster

Ref: J. A. Hobkirk

0.5 mm
2 mm
1.3 mm, 3 mm
2.5 mm
Ref: Finn

D. The use of stops:

The spacer should be cut out in 2-4 places so that
the special tray touches the ridge in these areas .
Location: Usually 4 stoppers are placed,
Size and shape : Stopper can be 2mm square
or
2 by 4 mm rectangle
or
2 mm mesiodistally,
palatally over the crest of the ridge and buccally half way into the
sulcus

Stops continued

There are several ways that stops can be

produced:
1) During construction of an acrylic tray in
the laboratory

(2) At the chair side in the mouth.

(3) At the chair side on the cast

E. Application of separating medium

F. Acrylization:
Thickness 2-3 mm

G. Fabrication of handle:
Criteria of handle :
1. The handle should be parallel to
the long axis of the teeth that
are to be replaced.

2. The handle should not arise

horizontally from the tray
because it may interfere with lip
movements.

3. It should be 3-4 mm thick ,

8 mm long , and 8 mm high.

Handle criteria continued

4. The vertical distance from

the sulcus to the handle is 2 cm
5. The handle upstand must be made
long enough for the handle to exit
through the oral commissure.

6. For mandibular tray two posterior

handle should be given as finger rests.

The next phase is preparing the tray for border

molding procedure:

References:
1. Zarb. Bolender.: Prosthodontic
Treatment of Edentulous patient,edi 12. p225-247

3. A, Roy Macgregor.:Clinical Dental

Prosthetics, edi 3. p 55-67
4. Sheldon Winkler.: Essentials of
Complete Denture Prosthodontics,edi 2.
5. J. A. Hobkirk. A Colour Atlas of
Complete Denture.
6. R. M. Basker, J. C. Devenport.:
Prosthetic Treatment of Edentulous Patient, edi 4.
7. Deepak Nallaswamy. Textbook of
Prosthodontics.