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GYPSUM PRODUCTS FOR

DENTAL CAST

By
Dr. Asad Farooq
BDS, MDS, Cont. (Dental Materials)
Dow University Of Health Sciences.

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 CONTENTS

 Introduction
 Types of gypsum products
 Requirements of dental cast materials
 Composition
 Manipulation
 Setting characteristics
 Setting reaction

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 INTRODUCTION
 Gypsum is a naturally occurring, white powdery mineral.

 Its chemical name is Calcium sulphate dihydrate. CaSO4.2H2O

 Gypsum products used in dentistry are based on calcium sulphate

hemihydrate. CaSO4.½ H2O

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 TYPES OF GYPSUM PRODUCTS
 The ISO Standard identifies five types of gypsum materials
as follows:
1. Type I dental plaster, impression
2. Type II dental plaster, model
3. Type III dental stone, die, model
4. Type IV dental stone, die, high strength, low expansion
5. Type V dental stone, die, high strength, high expansion

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 TYPES OF GYPSUM PRODUCTS
Cont…
 These types have identical chemical formulas of calcium
sulfate hemihydrate, CaSO4.½ H2O.

 They possess different physical properties, which makes

each of them suitable for a different purpose.

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 MODEL

A Positive Likeness Of An Object Or It’s A Positive Replica

Of Several Teeth
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 DIE

A reproduction of a prepared tooth made from a gypsum

product or it’s a positive replica of single tooth.
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REQUIREMENTS OF DENTAL CAST
MATERIALS

 It should be dimensionally stable.

 It should have adequate mechanical properties.

 The material should ideally be fluid at the time it is poured into the
impression so that the fine details can be recorded.

 The set material should be sufficiently strong to resist accidental

fracture.

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 REQUIREMENTS CONT..
 The set material should be hard enough to resist abrasion during
carving of the wax pattern.

 It should be compatible with all the other materials with which

it will come into contact.

 It should give a good colour contrast with various waxes which

are often used to produce wax patterns.

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 COMPOSITION
 Gypsum products are formed by driving off part of the water of
crystallization from gypsum to form calcium sulphate hemihydrate.

Gypsum → Gypsum product + water

2CaSO4.2H2O → (CaSO4)2.H2O + 3H2O
Calcium sulphate Calcium sulphate
dihydrate hemihydrate
OR Heat
110 130 1
CaSO4 .2 H 2O    CaSO4 . H 2O
2

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 COMPOSITION Cont…
 After heat treatment or Calcination following types are
produced;

1.Dental plaster
 Gypsum is heated to a temperature of about 120°C

2.Hydrocal (dental stone)

 If gypsum is dehydrated under pressure & in the presence of
water vapor at about 125°C, the product is called hydrocal.

3.Densite (high strength dental stones Type 4 & 5 )

 High strength dental stones are manufactured with a high density
raw material called densite.
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 COMPOSITION Cont…

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 1:DENTAL PLASTER (PLASTER OF
PARIS)
 Plaster is produced by a process known as Calcination.

 Calcination is of two types Wet and Dry.

 Gypsum is heated to a temperature of about 120°C.

 This produces irregular, porous particles which are sometimes

referred to as β- hemihydrates particles.

 Overheating the gypsum may cause further loss of water to form

calcium sulphate anhydrite (CaSO4).

 Manufacturers may add accelerators & retarders in dental plaster.

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 1:DENTAL PLASTER (PLASTER OF
PARIS)
 Impression plaster (Type I) *seldom used*
 Model plaster (Type II): used for

 Diagnostic cast
 Articulation of stone cast
 Flasking procedure for acrylic dentures.

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 DENTAL PLASTER

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 2: DENTAL STONE/HYDROCAL
 It may be produced by one of two methods;

1.Gypsum is heated to about 125°C under steam pressure in an

autoclave.
 The hemihydrate particles produced are more regular & less
porous.
 The particles produced are referred to as α hemihydrate.

2.Gypsum may be boiled in a solution of a salt such as CaCl2.

 The particles produced are less porous as compared with that
produced by autoclave.

 Manufacturers may add chemical accelerators & retarders.

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 2: DENTAL STONE
 Dental stone (Type III): used for making

 Full or partial denture models

 Orthodontic models
 Flasking procedure for acrylic dentures (teeth end)

It requires less water,

stronger than plaster.

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 2: DENTAL STONE / Densite
 Dental stone, high strength low expansion (Type IV):
 Die stone used in fabricating wax patterns of cast restorations
(crown &bridge)
 Implants
 Often colored pink or green
 Almost 2 times stronger than type III stone.

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 2: DENTAL STONE / Densite

 High strength, high expansion dental stone (Type V)

 Colored blue or green

 Most costly of all gypsum materials
 Lowest W:P ratio, higher compressive strength

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 DENTAL STONE

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 MANIPULATION
 Plaster & stone powders are mixed with water to produce a
workable mix.

 For dental stone, a ratio of about 0.3 is required to produce a

workable mix.

 For dental plaster a higher W/P ratio of 0.55 is required.

 Theoretical ratio is 0.186.

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 MANIPULATION
 Considerable quantities of air may be incorporated during
mixing, this may lead to porosity within the set material.

 Air porosity may be reduced either by vibrating the mix of

plaster or stone or by mixing the material under vacuum.

 For hand mixing a clean, scratch free rubber or plastic bowl is

normally recommended.

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 MANIPULATION
 Variations in W:P ratio affect the set materials
properties such as strength and accuracy.

 Too much water the mix will be runny, the model will
be weaker.
 Too little water difficult to mix, chance to get bubbles
inside the mixture.

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 SETTING CHARACTERISTICS
FLUIDITY:
 It is defined as the average of the major & minor diameters of the
slumped material.
 The fluidity of dental gypsum products is measured by one of the
two methods.

For type 1 & 2 materials a slump test is recommended in which a

known volume of material is allowed to slump onto a glass plate at
a time indicated by the manufacturer as the pouring time ( 2-3
minutes for most materials).

For type 3, 4 & 5 materials a core penetration test is

recommended with the depth of penetration of core falling under a
load for 15 seconds into a known quantity of material is measured
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3 minutes after starting to mix powder & water.
 SETTING CHARACTERISTICS
Mixing time: the time from the addition of the powder to the water
until the mixing is completed.
 Mechanical mixing of stones & plasters is usually completed in 20-30
seconds.
 Hand spatulation requires at least a minute to obtain a smooth mix.

Working time: the time available to use a workable mix, one that
maintains a uniform consistency to perform one or more tasks.
 Generally, a 3 min working time is adequate.

Setting time: the time that passes from the beginning of mixing until the
material hardens and cools. (exothermic reaction is over).

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 TESTS FOR INITIAL SET &
SETTING TIME
 Loss of Gloss Test for Initial Set

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  Gillmore Test for Initial Set

 Gillmore Test for Final Setting Time

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  Vicat Test for Setting time

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 SETTING REACTION
 The setting process begins rapidly after mixing the powder and
water.

 In the first stage water becomes soaked with hemihydrate.

 Dissolved hemihydrate is then rapidly converted to dihydrate.

 Later the solubility limit of dihydrate is immediately exceeded it

begins to crystallize out of the solution.

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 SETTING REACTION
 Crystals of dihydrate are spherulitic in nature, (needle like
clusters are called spherulites).

 These crystals grow from specific sites called nuclei of

crystallization.

 Nuclei of crystallization: These may be small particles of

impurity, such as unconverted gypsum crystals, within the
hemihydrate powder.

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 SETTING REACTION
 The setting reaction of gypsum products is exothermic, the
maximum temperature being reached during the stage when
final hardening occurs.

 Another physical change which accompanies setting is a

small expansion caused by outward thrust of growing
crystals.

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 THE END

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