dental articulators i

3. I. Definition
II. Components of articulator
III. Uses
IV. Requirements
V. Classification
VI. Advantages
VII. Limitation

4. “ Articulator is a mechanical device which
represents the temporomandibular joint and the jaw
membranes to which maxillary and mandibular casts
may be attached to stimulate jaw movements”
-GPT.
“An mechanical device that represents the
temporomandibular joints and jaw membranes to
which maxilla and mandibular casts may be attached ;
used in the fabrication and testing of dentures”

5.  Upper membrane
 Lower membrane
 Incisal guide table
 Condylar guidance
 Incisal pin

6. UPPER
MEMBRANE
INCISAL PIN
INCISAL
GUIDE
TABLE
LOWER
MEMBRANE

7.  It is a triangular frame with the base of the triangle
placed posteriorly .
 The apex of triangle contains a provision to
accommodate the incisal pin.
 Two condylar elements are seen projecting on either
side of the base of the triangle.
 They articulate with the condylar guidance of the
lower membrane.
 The maxillary cast is attached to upper membrane
during articulation.

8.  L shaped frame with horizontal and vertical arm.
 The horizontal arm is triangular in shape and
corresponds to the upper membrane .
 The apex of the triangle of the horizontal arm contains
the incisal guide table.
 The vertical arm is rectangular containing the condylar
guidance slot at the upper position.

9.  It helps to keep a fixed distance between the upper and
lower membrane at the anterior end.
 The vertical rod has a pointed tip , which should rest
on the center of the incisal guide table during
articulation.
 The tip of the incisal guide pin is the anterior reference
point in this articulator.
 The incisal edge of the maxillary incisors at the mid
point of the occlusal rim should touch the lip of the
incisal pin during articulation.

10.  The incisal guide table gives the incisal guidance of the
articulator .
 It can be described as a very shot cylindrical whose
upper surface is concave.
 The vertical rod should rest on the center of the incisal
guide table during articulation.
 The incisal guide angle is fixed and non customizable.

11.  To diagnose the state of occlusion in both the natural
and artificial dentition.
 To plan dental procedures (e.g:
evaluation of possibility of balanced occlusion)
 To aid in the fabrication
 To correct and modify
 To arrange artificial tooth

12. MINIMAL REQURIMENTS:
1) It should hold the cast in correct horizontal relationship
2) It should hold the cast in correct vertical relation
3) The cast should be easily removable and reattachable
4) It should provide a positive anterior vertical stop
5) It should accept face-bow transfer record using an anterior
reference point
6) It should not be bulky or heavy
7) It should open and close in hinge movement
8) There should be adequate space present between the upper
and lower membrane
9) The moving parts should move freely with out any friction
10) The non moving parts should be of a rigid construction

13. Articulators are mainly classified under four
headings as follows:
1) Based on theories of occlusion
2) Based on types of inter occlusal records used
3) Based on ability to stimulate jaw movements
4) Based on adjustability of articulator

14. Based on theories of occlusion articulators are
mainly classified into three as follows
A, Bonwill theory articulators
B, Conical theory articulators
C, Spherical theory articulators

15. It was designed by “ WGA BONWILL”
Bonwill theory is also known as the theory
of equilateral triangle according to which , the
distance between the condyles is equal to the distance
between the condyle and the mid point of the
mandibular incisor .
Mid of central incisors
Condyl Condyl

17. It is proposed by “RE HALL”
The conical theory of occlusion proposed
that the lower teeth move over the surfaces of the
upper teeth as over the surface of a cone , generating
an angle of the cone tipped 45 degrees with the
central axis of the cone tipped 450 to the occlusal
plane.

19. It was proposed by “G.S MONSON”
The spherical theory of occlusion
proposed that lower teeth move over the surface of
sphere with a diameter of 8 inch.
The center of the sphere was located
in the region of glabella . The surface of the sphere
passed through the glenoid fossa and along with the
articulating eminences.

21. Based on the type of inter occlusal records used
they are
A, Inter occlusal record adjustment
B, Graphic record adjustment
C, Hinge axis location for adjusting articulators

22. These are adjusted by some kind of
intra occlusal records.
Intra occlusal records are made by
baseplate wax, plaster , zinc oxide eugenol , cold cure
acrylic.

23. These articulators are capable
of accurately reproducing the border movements of
the mandible.

24. A transographic record can be
used to record the accurate location of the hinge axis
in an articulator.

25. At the international prosthodontic
work shop on completedenture occlusion at the
university of MICHIGAN in 1972, the articulators were
classified based on the instrument’s capability ,intent
,recording procedure and record acceptence .
This is the most widely accepted
classification which is as follows
A, Class -1
B, Class-2
C, Class -3
D, Class -4
Type a
Type b
Type c
Type a
Type b
Type a
Type b

26.  Simple articulators capable of accepting a single
registration.
 Only vertical motion possible .
 Used in cases of tenative jaw relation.
(eg: slab articulator ,Barndoor articulator)

27.  Articulators which permit horizontal and vertical
motion but they do not orient the movement to TMJ
with a face bow.
Limited eccentric
motion .
E.g: Mean value
articulator
Limited eccentric
motion possible based
on theories of arbitrary
motion.
E.g: Monsoon’s and halls
articulator
Limited eccentric
motion possible based
on engraving records
obtained from the
patient.
E.g: Houses articulator
TYPE -A TYPE -B TYPE - C

28.  Permit horizontal and vertical movements.
They accept a static protrusive
registration and they use equivalents
for other types of motion .
E.g: Hanau h articulator
They accept static lateral protrusive
registration and they use equivalents
for other types of motion .
E.g: Panadent , Trubite , Teledyne
hanau university series.
TYPE A TYPE B

29.  Articulator accept three dimensional dynamic
registrations.
 The area capable of accurately reproducing the
condylar pathway for each patient.

30. Based on the adjustability ,
articulators can be classified as :
A, Non adjustable
B, Semi adjustable
C, Fully adjustable

31.  They can open and close in a fixed horizontal axis.
 Have a fixed condylar path along which the condylar
ball can be moved to stimulate lateral and protrusive
jaw movements.

33.  They have Adjustable condylar path
Adjustable lateral condylar path
Adjustable incisal guide table
Adjustable inter condylar distance
 They are of two types as :
Acron articulator
Non Acron articulator

35. Acron articulator:
In this type the condylar elements is
attached to the lower membrane of the articulator
and the condylar guidance is attached to the upper
membrane.
This articulator resembles “TMJ”

36. Non acron articulator:
In this the articulator have the
condylar element attached to the lower
membrane.
This articulator is reverse of the “TMJ”

37.  Capable of being adjusted to follow the mandible
movement in all directions.
 These articulators have a number of readings which
can be customised for each patient .
 They do not have condylar guidance instead have
receptacles in which acrylic dough can be contoured to
form a customised condylar and incisal guidance.

39. It is a non adjustable articulator.
Designed using fixed dimensions which are designed
from the average distance between the incisal and
condylar guidance of the .
Condylar guidance is eqivalent to the glenoid fossa is
attached to the lower membrane and condylar
element equivalent of mandibular condylar is attached
to the upper membrane .
It is a non acron articulator.

40.  Properly mounted casts allow the operator to visualize the
patients occlusion ,especially from the lingual view.
 Patient cooperation is not a factor when using an
articulator once the appropriate inter occlusion records are
obtained from the patient .
 The refinement of complete denture occlusion in the
mouth is extremely difficult because of shifting denture
bases and resiliency of the supporting tissues.
 Inter occlusal records can be obtained and
completedenture occlusion can be refined outside the
mouth on an articulator.

41.  More procedures can be delegated to auxillary
personnel when utilizing an articulator for
development of patients occlusion.
 The patient saliva ,tongue , and cheeks are not factors
when using an articulator.
 Reduces patient chair side patient appointment time.

42.  an articulator may be made of metal or plastic .
 The articulator may not exactly stimulate the intra
border and functional movements of the mandible
 Errors in jaw relation procedures are reproduced as
errors in the denture occlusion
 Articulators do not have any provision to indicate or
correct these errors

43. YAMINI BALUSU
4TH Yr BDS
Hall ticket no:1190012