Props for Doug Jackson!

[JonB]

Last week Doug gave me a tip on investing UCLA abutments. I had my doubts, but thought - what the heck, anything would beat the last effort i had made on one. ***edit*** I had a single molar UCLA type crown in the lab and three large implant bar cases using UCLAs. I did the molar first and screwed it up with a poor investing technique. I hadn't done a UCLA in over 10 years. So I ordered a new UCLA and asked for advice and Doug came through. It was enough though to make me reconsider the wisdom of trying to cast 12 UCLAs spread over three arches and ruining any one of them. So I reasoned that a milled bar was a better idea. I learned two lessons - no three - in this one mistake. 1) to invest like Doug said, 2) to do milled bars instead for the precision, and 3) the value of this forum ***

His tip ( I hope Doug doesn't mind me saying) To thread a piece of floss or fishing line through the access hole before you invest and then just fill the ring as normal. As the investment comes up around the hole, it builds surface tension, but the string breaks the tension and the hole fills completely. Then you pull the string out and it pulls out any tiny little bubble with it.

You finish filling the ring and let it set, cast it, clean it up and you have a perfect, unmolested abutment.

Also you need to score a line around the area at the base of the crown/abutment where the alloy contours meet the titanium. This gives the alloy a break in its momentum during casting so it doesn't break through and spill onto the mating surfaces.

Great tip, Doug - it's a brilliant solution.

I only have one question... when i add this to my SOP - is using the floss this way inconsistent with its packaging?

 

[rkm rdt]

Thanks Doug

Jon do you have any macro photography tips for us noobs?

I just bought a Nikon D90 w a 60 mm micro Nikkor and a sigma em 140 macro ring flash.

 

[JonB]

We probably ought to set up a separate thread for that. But once we do - ask away!

 

[JohnWilson]

Glad you got this one squared away. I will be reading your photography tips with eager eyes.

 

[rkm rdt]

Yes , John and I would like to know how to take pics of hot babes without our wives getting upset

 

[JonB]

Yes , John and I would like to know how to take pics of hot babes without our wives getting upset

I got my feet wet at that at the hands of my wife's best friend... long story - I'll save that one for later!

 

[JonB]

Oh yeah... if you're planning on using a macro lens for those kinds of shots... you probably ought to be spending time with a little older women... 16 will get you 20!

 

[rkm rdt]

Good point.

Think I'l stick to teeth and bugs for now.

 

[doug]

Thank you, Jon. I actually got the tip from a friend years ago. Better to spread the information among people who can use it.

 

[JonB]

It worked like a charm, Doug. I used dental floss and the case cast out perfectly. I was running late last night when i invested it so I didn't take pics - but the next one I will definitely shoot the process.

 

[lia]

great, great advice. Please share more. It helps newbies like me. Thanks

 

[paulg100]

this is quite an old thread but i think some good advice now would be to stop casting UCLAS.

Its by far the most expensive way of doing custom abutments now with little if any advantages over
a titanium cad/cam abutment.

only problem with that is if u dont have a scanner... like me.

 

[Slipstream]

only problem with that is if u dont have a scanner... like me.

£250 a month will sort that out

 

[lcmlabforum]

Sometimes, due to the angulation, the size of the blank may not allow you a milled titanium
abutment because we found out the hard way with a major implant scanned abutment system.
LCM

 

[Brett Hansen CDT]

There are systems out there without custom abutment capabilities(Thommen comes to mind). Instead of floss, I use a thin piece of wire wax. Same principle and it works every time.

 

[bleu2th]

Nice solution. I learned the hard way of course but have yet to have so much as a bleb when investing implants. What works for me is to slowly fill the ring on the vibrator and carefully watch the rising surface as the investment starts from the bottom and percolates up the chute and out the top. This works for even the smallest diameter chute. Adding any inviestment from a brush just seems to offer a path of resistance with the flow of investment and create voids. I think what is working with this technique is a capillary flow and the investment moves consistently and out. Never an issue.