This file is one of the Wolfstone archives of the Halloween mailing lists. You can find out more, and reach the entire collection here: http://www.pobox.com/~wolfstone/_r/HalloweenArchive.html This is a copy of Don Bertino's archive from http://www.calweb.com/~bertino/halloween.html on the subject of "sources". These few notes appear misfiled) - they're about making fake teeth and fangs. Minor changes have been made, mostly removal of E-mail headers and signatures, but the germane content is unchanged. - - Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 09:52:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Don Bertino Subject: Re: More sources... Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 22:15:37 -0700 From: Scott Axworthy Subject: Re: More sources... Denny and everyone: > Here's a good source if your into working with special make- >up effects, masks, etc. They offer a large selection of latex, >silicone and urethane molding compounds, colorants, paints, >sculpting materials, hair, eyeballs, fake blood, false teeth, >make-up, latex face appliances, how-to books and videos. > >Burman Ind. Inc. >14141 Covello St. Suite 6-A >Van Nuys, CA. 91405 >(818) 782-9833 >Catalog cost? > This looks like a great source and it made me think of another subject: Teeth! Absolutely incredible false teeth of various types can be created using a few supplies that the pros use. Its not cheap stuff but it goes far. These teeth are custom fit to your own teeth. Fangs, crooked teeth, sharp teeth, whatever, can be made. Supplies: Dental Alginate Dental alginate tray Plaster of Paris (preferably dental stone-hard plaster of paris) White Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer Pink Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer Liquid - Acrylic Ester Monomers,di-methyl,D-toldine (The above powders can be purchased at some high-end makeup supply places but it is easier to find them at beauty supply places. It is used for fingernail repairs, or something. The liquid comes from the same place. The brand I have is called "SuperNail" and is called liquid, white powder, and pink powder. The liquid is really *NASTY*! It smells awful, would probably cause flash fires, brain damage, etc. It has to be used in a well ventilated area.) rubber gloves vaseline clear glaze Step one is to get a mold of your teeth. The new teeth are then fabricated on this mold so that when they are finished they will fit to your teeth exactly. The alginate and alginate tray come from a dental supplier. Some suppliers won't sell to the general public anymore. Call around until you find one that will. If you have never had a mold taken of your teeth at the dentist, it can be a little un-nerving the first time. You have a tray that fits around your top or bottom teeth and you put the pudding-like alginate in it. You stuff this in your mouth and wait for it to set. Usually a little oozes into the back and makes you gag a bit. Try not to get too much, a little goes a long way. It may take a couple of times to get a good mold but its not too hard. You really only need the front 8-10 teeth to have a good mold. Be sure to get the alginate all the way up on the gums! Once the mold is ready, you mix the plaster of paris to create the tooth positive. It is easy to get air bubbles down in the teeth, so work the plaster down in the teeth first and kind of vibrate it on a table top to get the bubbles out. Keep vibrating and filling until it is full then let it set up. Give extra time to set, the teeth can be easily chipped. Using one of the high grade, hard, types of plaster of paris works best. Once the teeth are set and removed from the mold, I mix a little more plaster in the bottom of a container, such as a cut-off sour cream or cottage cheese container, and insert the back side (gum side) of the teeth in the plaster. This will give a good working base for the teeth and they will be in an easy position to work on them. Leave as much of the gum line as possible showing, the new teeth need full gums. Step 2: Now that you have a model of your teeth, the new teeth can be built up. Vaseline is applied to the teeth as a mold release. Cover them well or your new false teeth may be stuck permanently. Now it is time for the powders and liquid to form teeth and gums. I use a small syringe (the kind with the curved tip) to suck up a little of the liquid. This works well as it lets you use small amounts and it contains the horrible smell. The process is quite simple, the liquid, when added to the powder, forms somewhat of a clay like substance. It is quite pliable and formable for a while. It then starts to harden and it gets as hard as your teeth in just a little bit. You start with the white powder and start forming teeth. It is fairly easy to make realistic teeth. You press them over the plaster teeth in the area that you want them to be so that they will fit compactly in your mouth and cover your real teeth. After a couple teeth are made, you temporarily tack them in place with a little piece of clay or something. The pink powder is them sprinkled between them and more liquid added. This forms the gums. After a little bit of gums are formed, the clay can be removed. It won't take much of the gums to keep the teeth stuck. More teeth are added followed by more gums. Once all the teeth are in place then the final gums can be finished all around. Step 3: Once the teeth and gums have set they can be removed. There is probably a better mold release for this stuff but I don't know what it is. I have tried several things but they have not worked. The teeth should come off without too much difficulty though. Be careful not to crack any teeth, you won't want to go through the teeth molding process again. The finish is a little rough and dull looking at this point. With a sharp knife, cut off any sharp edges on the gums. These teeth can also be sanded it they need any fixing. Wash the new teeth thoroughly and try them on. They should fit quite snugly. The teeth I have made stay tight enough for talking without any problem. If they are loose at all, a little vaseline or any of the denture fixatives can be used. To give the teeth their finished look, paint on the clear glaze. This gives them the slick pearly finish that real teeth have. I have created fangs, some Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde pointy/crooked teeth and couple other various types. They are just like you see in the movies, they really look great. - - Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 16:05:20 -0400 (EDT) From: "Donna J. Logan" Subject: Re: More sources... On Tue, 29 Aug 1995, Don Bertino wrote: > White Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer > Pink Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer > Liquid - Acrylic Ester Monomers,di-methyl,D-toldine > > (The above powders can be purchased at some high-end makeup supply > places but it is easier to find them at beauty supply places. It is > used for fingernail repairs, or something. The liquid comes from the > same place. The brand I have is called "SuperNail" and is called > liquid, white powder, and pink powder. The liquid is really *NASTY*! > It smells awful, would probably cause flash fires, brain damage, > etc. It has to be used in a well ventilated area.) It's used for acrylic nails...some brands are better smelling than others. Consider what nail techs have to put up with, dealing with that stuff all day! ;-> > The alginate and alginate tray come from a dental supplier. Some suppliers > won't sell to the general public anymore. Call around until you find > one that will. Tell them you're a dental lab tech or dental hygienist student, they should sell it to you with no problem....you'd have more of a hassle trying to get dental tools, which have become prohibited for some reason...a couple of mine are actually labled "Prohibited from sale to the general public".... > If you have never had a mold taken of your teeth at the > dentist, it can be a little un-nerving the first time. You have a tray > that fits around your top or bottom teeth and you put the pudding-like > alginate in it. You stuff this in your mouth and wait for it to set. > Usually a little oozes into the back and makes you gag a bit. Try not > to get too much, a little goes a long way. Don't fill the tray completely, as your teeth and gums will displace some alginate. > It may take a couple of times > to get a good mold but its not too hard. You really only need the front > 8-10 teeth to have a good mold. Be sure to get the alginate all the way > up on the gums! And since this isn't going to be a permanent set of dentures which need to be completely anatomically correct, precision can be a little off. If the above procedure really seems daunting, you can probably contact any dental hygiene school in your area and explain what you want...they would probably be willing to mix up the alginate and take your bite for you for a minimal cost, and it would save you buying the alginate and trays yourself. When you talk with them, tell them you're interested in having your bite taken so that you can fashion a set of vampire teeth for Halloween... wording it that way will make you sound like you know what you're talking about, so they won't hang up on you! They'd probably mix up and pour the stone model for you too, saving you from making another purchase. > Once the mold is ready, you mix the plaster of paris to create the tooth > positive. It is easy to get air bubbles down in the teeth, so work the > plaster down in the teeth first and kind of vibrate it on a table top > to get the bubbles out. Helps to have a vibrating platform...we used the spatula end of something called a #7 tool to get the stone down into the small openings, and once we had those filled used a butter knife to vibrate the rest of the stone in...this stuff sets up very quickly, you need to work fast. Barring getting your hands on a #7 tool, or getting a friendly dental hygienist to do this for you, I'd recommend using something like wooden coffee stirrers to get the stone down into the tight places. > Keep vibrating and filling until it is full > then let it set up. Keep banging the tray on the table periodically too, to help get rid of any air pockets..... > Give extra time to set, the teeth can be easily > chipped. Using one of the high grade, hard, types of plaster of > paris works best. Once the teeth are set and removed from the mold, Not necessarily an easy process, BTW! > I mix a little more plaster in the bottom of a container, such as a > cut-off sour cream or cottage cheese container, and insert the back > side (gum side) of the teeth in the plaster. Referred to as the "distal" side.... > This will give a good > working base for the teeth and they will be in an easy position to > work on them. Leave as much of the gum line as possible showing, the > new teeth need full gums. Yeah, I guess for this purpose you wouldn't want to splurge for an articulator...I still have an unused one from school, btw, if anyone's interested. > > Step 2: > > Now that you have a model of your teeth, the new teeth can be built > up. Vaseline is applied to the teeth as a mold release. Cover them > well or your new false teeth may be stuck permanently. If you plan on buying all this stuff and doing it yourself, I'd recommend getting the release agent specifically designed for this from the dental supply house at the same time as when you buy the alginate et al. Works better than vaseline and isn't as thick, giving a better fit. BTW, I'd also coat the stone model with cyanoacrilate before painting on the release....hardens the stone and helps prevent knicks (there's a specific product for this, but it's expensive and cyanoacrilate - Krazy Glue - works just as well). > Now it is time for the powders and liquid to form teeth and gums. > I use a small syringe (the kind with > the curved tip) to suck up a little of the liquid. This works well > as it lets you use small amounts and it contains the horrible smell. > The process is quite simple, the liquid, when added to the powder, > forms somewhat of a clay like substance. It is quite pliable and > formable for a while. It then starts to harden and it gets as hard > as your teeth in just a little bit. You start with the white powder > and start forming teeth. It is fairly easy to make realistic teeth. I'd also recommend painting the teeth on the stone model with a coat of nail polish before starting this step (make sure the polish is dry) The nail polish gives just enough thickness so that the final false teeth won't be grinding against your own teeth. It's easy enough to just use a small brush for the acrylics, the way the techs do it is to just moisten the brush with the liquid, blot it on a towel you keep under the model, then dip the brush in the acrylic powder until you get a moist, pliable ball on the end....you can then pat this ball on and sculpt it with the brush...I would recommend practicing this step on the paper towel at first until you get the hang of it. Make sure to keep the brush clean by dipping it into the liquid and wiping it on the paper towel between acrylic dips. > You press them over the plaster teeth in the area that you want them > to be so that they will fit compactly in your mouth and cover your real > teeth. After a couple teeth are made, you temporarily tack them > in place with a little piece of clay or something. The pink powder > is them sprinkled between them and more liquid added. I'd do the same bit with building with the brush here, also.... > This forms > the gums. After a little bit of gums are formed, the clay can be > removed. It won't take much of the gums to keep the teeth stuck. > More teeth are added followed by more gums. Once all the teeth > are in place then the final gums can be finished all around. > > Step 3: > > Once the teeth and gums have set they can be removed. There is > probably a better mold release for this stuff but I don't know > what it is. I have tried several things but they have not worked. Like I said, paint the stone teeth with cyanoacrilate, then a coat of nail polish, then a coat of dental mold release, and it should release with little problem. ALSO...fill in any indentations first! Any undercuts will make it nigh on impossible to release the false teeth. Wax or clay would work, make sure to coat it with the mold release too. > The teeth should come off without too much difficulty though. Be > careful not to crack any teeth, you won't want to go through the > teeth molding process again. The finish is a little rough and dull > looking at this point. With a sharp knife, cut off any sharp edges > on the gums. These teeth can also be sanded it they need any > fixing. Nail techs use a Dremel MotoTool with a diamond sander..... I won't tell you what dental techs go thru with real dentures! ;-> > Wash the new teeth thoroughly and try them on. They should > fit quite snugly. The teeth I have made stay tight enough for > talking without any problem. If they are loose at all, a little > vaseline or any of the denture fixatives can be used. To give > the teeth their finished look, paint on the clear glaze. This > gives them the slick pearly finish that real teeth have. > > I have created fangs, some Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde pointy/crooked teeth > and couple other various types. They are just like you see in the > movies, they really look great. If you'd prefer grungy teeth, stain them before painting on the glaze... Donna (ex-dental lab tech) ;-> - - Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 06:56:32 +0800 From: Matt.Gomes at Ebay.Sun.COM (Matt Gomes) Subject: Re: More sources... Hey, all, Wow! Donna! Thanks a bunch for all the key information. I've been looking to make myself (or, more likely, have someone else make) a set of upper teeth that were yellow and crooked... I think you've given me some ideas and people to contact... Thanks a bunch! - - From: Scott Axworthy Subject: Re: More sources... Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 19:21:18 -0700 (PDT) Donna (and everyone) Thanks for the followup details. That's what I like about the Internet, send out info on something and an expert always pops out. > ...original teeth post and followup deleted for brevity... > > > Like I said, paint the stone teeth with cyanoacrilate, then a coat of > nail polish, then a coat of dental mold release, and it should release > with little problem. I will give this a try, sounds like it could work well. > > ALSO...fill in any indentations first! Any undercuts will make it > nigh on impossible to release the false teeth. Wax or clay would > work, make sure to coat it with the mold release too. Excellent point. > > Nail techs use a Dremel MotoTool with a diamond sander..... I was suprised at how little touch up work I had to do. I made the comment just the other day to my dentist that "dentists always have the coolest tools." He agreed. The dremel would be an easy way to do modifications. > > Donna (ex-dental lab tech) > ;-> > Scott (ex-dental patient) (oops, not so "ex", I have to go back to get a filling replaced.) - - Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 17:44:44 -0700 From: Andrew at Evermore.com (Andrew Crawford) Subject: Re: More sources... Hmmm ... having made about 30 sets of "vampire" teeth now, I thought I would throw in a quick two bits ... >> White Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer >> Pink Powder - Acrylic Ester Polymer >> Liquid - Acrylic Ester Monomers,di-methyl,D-toldine >> >> (The above powders can be purchased at some high-end makeup supply >> places but it is easier to find them at beauty supply places. It is >> used for fingernail repairs, or something. The liquid comes from the >> same place. The brand I have is called "SuperNail" and is called >> liquid, white powder, and pink powder. The liquid is really *NASTY*! >> It smells awful, would probably cause flash fires, brain damage, >> etc. It has to be used in a well ventilated area.) > >It's used for acrylic nails...some brands are better smelling than others. >Consider what nail techs have to put up with, dealing with that stuff all >day! ;-> Actually, I use dental monomers - the sort one gets in a "trim kit" used for bite registration and making "temporaries." You can get a set with different colors so you can match the color of your teeth. This makes the prosthetics less obvious .... >> The alginate and alginate tray come from a dental supplier. Some suppliers >> won't sell to the general public anymore. Call around until you find >> one that will. Tell them that you want "Jeltrate." That's the sodium alginate casting agent. Mint flavor is available as well as the tasty original seaweed flavor ... ;) >> If you have never had a mold taken of your teeth at the >> dentist, it can be a little un-nerving the first time. You have a tray Hip tip: don't panic when you find it hard to take the tray out. Jiggle it a little from side to side. When you break the seal, it should come right out. If you mix the Jeltrate properly, it should set within about a minute. >> Once the mold is ready, you mix the plaster of paris to create the tooth >> positive. It is easy to get air bubbles down in the teeth, so work the >> plaster down in the teeth first and kind of vibrate it on a table top >> to get the bubbles out. Use "Caststone" rather than plaster of paris. It has fewer problems with shrinkage. It's about the same price. Ask at the dental supply place ... >Helps to have a vibrating platform...we used the spatula end of something >called a #7 tool to get the stone down into the small openings, and once >we had those filled used a butter knife to vibrate the rest of the stone >in...this stuff sets up very quickly, you need to work fast. You can get "de-bubbleizer" from the dental supply places. However, I am told and have found that liquid dish soap works just as well. You dillute it a bit and use a sprayer, preferrably one with a fine mist, to coat the inside of the alginate mold. Turn the mold upside down over some paper towels for a bit to let the excess drip off. The thin coating that remains will help prevent bubbles on the surface of the cast. You can get a device from the dental places called a "vibrator" (no comments from the peanut gallery, please ...) Basically, it's a flat plate that vibrates very rapidly when you activate it. I picked up a used one for about $15. They are $50 to $75 (US) new. >Barring getting your hands on a #7 tool, or getting a friendly dental >hygienist to do this for you, I'd recommend using something like wooden >coffee stirrers to get the stone down into the tight places. > >> Keep vibrating and filling until it is full >> then let it set up. Vibrate until bubbles stop coming to the surface. When the plaster/caststone feels cold rather than warm, it should be set - about 1 to 1.5 hrs. You can remove it from the mold. However, you probably want to let it sit for 24 hours or so to get good and hard. >> I mix a little more plaster in the bottom of a container, such as a >> cut-off sour cream or cottage cheese container, and insert the back >> side (gum side) of the teeth in the plaster. They also make special rubber molds for this, if you want to get fancy ... >> Step 2: >> >> Now that you have a model of your teeth, the new teeth can be built >> up. Vaseline is applied to the teeth as a mold release. Cover them >> well or your new false teeth may be stuck permanently. > >If you plan on buying all this stuff and doing it yourself, I'd >recommend getting the release agent specifically designed for this from >the dental supply house at the same time as when you buy the alginate >et al. Works better than vaseline and isn't as thick, giving a better >fit. The release agent used in dental labs is called COE-SEP. It is also known as "liquid tinfoil," implying that one could use tinfoil instead ... ;) You can also rub the COE-SEP onto your fingers to make it easier to sculpt the monomer. BTW, tinfoil works well for covering your working surfaces. The monomers stick to it less than most things ... >> Now it is time for the powders and liquid to form teeth and gums. >> I use a small syringe (the kind with >> the curved tip) to suck up a little of the liquid. This works well So does an eyedropper. >I'd also recommend painting the teeth on the stone model with a coat >of nail polish before starting this step (make sure the polish is dry) >The nail polish gives just enough thickness so that the final false >teeth won't be grinding against your own teeth. Hmmm ... I always try to make the false teeth fit as tightly as possible ... >Like I said, paint the stone teeth with cyanoacrilate, then a coat of >nail polish, then a coat of dental mold release, and it should release >with little problem. I'll give it a try next time ... >> The teeth should come off without too much difficulty though. Be >> careful not to crack any teeth, you won't want to go through the >> teeth molding process again. The finish is a little rough and dull >> looking at this point. With a sharp knife, cut off any sharp edges >> on the gums. These teeth can also be sanded it they need any >> fixing. I've had success cutting, filing, and buffing. >Nail techs use a Dremel MotoTool with a diamond sander..... Good place to start. >I won't tell you what dental techs go thru with real dentures! ;-> > >> Wash the new teeth thoroughly and try them on. They should >> fit quite snugly. The teeth I have made stay tight enough for >> talking without any problem. If they are loose at all, a little >> vaseline or any of the denture fixatives can be used. To give >> the teeth their finished look, paint on the clear glaze. This >> gives them the slick pearly finish that real teeth have. Read the label before you use anything - don't paint them with toxic stuff unless you are already dead ... ;) It's also a good idea to take an old toothbrush and some liquid soap and give the finished teeth a thourough scrubbing before you put them in your mouth. When you put them in, swish a little water around in your mouth to help get the teeth in place. >Donna (ex-dental lab tech) Hmmm ... got my experience casting teeth for a dental anthropology lab. It's amazing the stuff you can tell about people from their teeth. I have a lot of fun freaking people out after casting their teeth: "so, you have asian ancestors ..." "Yeah! My great grandfather was Japanese ... How did you know?" Good luck! - - Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 16:07:52 -0400 (EDT) From: "Donna J. Logan" Subject: Re: More sources... On Fri, 1 Sep 1995, Andrew Crawford wrote: > >Helps to have a vibrating platform...we used the spatula end of something > >called a #7 tool to get the stone down into the small openings, and once > >we had those filled used a butter knife to vibrate the rest of the stone > >in...this stuff sets up very quickly, you need to work fast. > > You can get "de-bubbleizer" from the dental supply places. However, > I am told and have found that liquid dish soap works just as well. You > dillute it a bit and use a sprayer, preferrably one with a fine mist, to > coat the inside of the alginate mold. Turn the mold upside down over some > paper towels for a bit to let the excess drip off. The thin coating that > remains will help prevent bubbles on the surface of the cast. Yes, we used diluted green soap in school...just brushed it on with a fine brush, worked fine...helps to have a compressed air blower to dry the excess. > You can get a device from the dental places called a "vibrator" (no > comments from the peanut gallery, please ...) Basically, it's a flat plate > that vibrates very rapidly when you activate it. I picked up a used one for > about $15. They are $50 to $75 (US) new. That's what I was mentioning in my previous post...I just figured people wouldn't want to invest in a professional vibrating machine if they're only planning on making one set of teeth...same with the choice of dental monymer over nail acrylic...the monymers can be expensive, and an involved process in curing, but I agree, anyone wanting a serious set of teeth would get a better model with the dental monymers. > Vibrate until bubbles stop coming to the surface. When the > plaster/caststone feels cold rather than warm, it should be set - about 1 to > 1.5 hrs. You can remove it from the mold. However, you probably want to > let it sit for 24 hours or so to get good and hard. We found it was easier to pop them out of the molds after 45 minutes...any longer, and it becomes more difficult to get the stone model out without breaking. It takes 24 hours to cure completely so yes, it's better to wait until then to start using it. > The release agent used in dental labs is called COE-SEP. It is also > known as "liquid tinfoil," implying that one could use tinfoil instead ... Nope...we used something called DIE-SEP, and it's not the same thing as liquid tinfoil, which builds up a certain thickness....DIE-SEP adds virtually no thickness. > BTW, tinfoil works well for covering your working surfaces. The > monomers stick to it less than most things ... Waxed paper works, too. > Hmmm ... I always try to make the false teeth fit as tightly as > possible ... Then you're risking damage to the underlying teeth, and risk needing permanent false teeth! ;-> > Hmmm ... got my experience casting teeth for a dental anthropology > lab. It's amazing the stuff you can tell about people from their teeth. I > have a lot of fun freaking people out after casting their teeth: "so, you > have asian ancestors ..." Yes, we learned that teeth reflect one's racial makeup, sex, and age. ;-> - -