ARTICULATORS

Chairperson:
Prof. R.K. Singh Presenter:
Resource faculty: Manisha Neupane
Dr Pramita Suwal BDS 2006
Roll no:300
Assistant professor
Dept of Prosthodontics
 Contents
 Introduction
 Purposes
 Requirements
 Advantages
 Classification
 Limitations
 Structure
 Mounting procedure
 Recent advances
 Conclusion
 Articulator.

 Articulator is defined as, "A mechanical

device which represents the
temperomandibular joints and the jaw
members to which maxillary and
mandibular casts may be attached to
simulate jaw movements”-GPT.
Articulators can simulate, but they
cannot duplicate, all possible
mandibular movements.
Patients’ mouth is said to be
best articulator.

What is the purpose of using an
articulator?
 To hold the maxillary and mandibular
casts in a determined fixed relationship.
 To simulate the jaw movements like
opening and closing.
 To produce border movements(extreme
lateral and protrusive movements)and
intraborder movements (within the border
movements) of the teeth similar to those
in the mouth.
 To diagnose the state of occlusion in both
the natural and artificial dentitions.
 To plan the dental procedure based on the
relationship between opposing natural and
artificial teeth.
 To aid in fabrication of restorations and
prosthodontic replacements.
 To correct and modify completed
restorations.
 To arrange artificial teeth.
 What are the requirements of an
articulator???
 Should hold casts in correct horizontal and
vertical relationship.
 Easily removable and easily attachable.
 Should provide a anterior vertical stop.
 Should accept face bow transfer. Should
open and close in hinge movements.
 Non-corrosive and rigid. Non bulky and non
heavy.
 Should have adequate space between the
upper and lower members. Moving parts
should move freely without any friction
while non moving parts should be rigid.
.....requirements
 Condylar guides should allow protrusive and
lateral jaw motions.
 Condylar guide should be adjustable in a
horizontal direction.
 The articulator should be adjustable to
accept and alter the Bennett movement.
 The incisal guide table should be
customizable(allow modification)
What are the advantages of
articulators???
 Visualise the patient’s occlusion especially
from the lingual view.
 Refinement of complete denture occlusion
easy because no shifting denture bases and
resiliency of supporting tissues as in case
of mouth.
 Reduced chair time ; pt’s appointment time
 ...advantages...

 Do not need pt cooperation

 Pts saliva, tongue, cheek are not factors
while using an articulator
Limitations
 Metal articulators show errors in
tooling (manufacture) or errors
resulting from metal fatigue.
 Does not exactly simulate the
intraborder and functional
movements of the mandible.
 Errors in jaw relation are reproduced
in dental occlusion and articulators
have no provision to indicate and
correct these errors
Effectiveness of articulators
depends upon..
 How well the operators understands its
construction and purpose.
 How enthusiastic the dentist is for the
particular instrument.
 How much precision and accuracy are used
in registering jaw relation
 How well the dentist understand the
anatomy of the joints, their movements,
and the neuromuscular system.
 How sensitive is the instruments is to
these records
Classification
 Based on the theory of occlusion
 Based on the type of interocclusal record
used.
 Based on the ability to simulate jaw
movements
 Based on the adjustability of the
articulator.
Based on the theory of
occlusion
 Bonwill theory articulators
 Conical theory articulators
 Spherical theory articulators
Bonwill theory articulators
 Designed by WGA Bonwill.
 According to Bonwill theory of occlusion
the teeth move in relation to each other as
guided by the condylar and the incisal
guidances.
 Also called theory of equilateral triangle
according to which the distance between
the condyles is equal to the distance
between the condyle and the midpoint of
mandibular incisors(incisal point).
Articulators

BONWILL 1854
4”

4”
Articulators
2.Conical theory articulators:-
– Proposed by RE Hall.
– The lower teeth move over the surface of upper
as over the surface of the cone tipped 45° to
the occlusal plane.
– Eg. Hall articulator.
3.Spherical theory articulators:-
 Proposed by G.S. monson
 Lower teeth move over the surface of the
upper as over a surface of a sphere of
diameter 8 inches.
 Center of the sphere is located in the glabella,
 E.g. Monson’s articulator.
Disadvantages of articulators based on
the theory of occlusion

 Theoretical concepts
 No provision for variations in
different persons
Articulators based on the type of
records used for adjustment:-
1. Inter occlusal record adjustment:
• Most articulators are adjusted by
some inter occlusal records which are
made up of plaster of Paris, ZOE, cold
cure acrylic etc.
2. Graphic record adjustment:
• are capable of accurately reproducing
the border movement of the mandible
• Face bow and jaw writing
apparatus(pantograph can be attached
to transfer the records)
Classification based on the ability to
simulate jaw movements:
– Most widely used classification
1. Class I
• Simple articulator capable of accepting
a single static registration.
• Only vertical motion is possible
• E.g. Slab & Barndoor articulators.
2. Class II
 They permit both vertical & horizontal
movement but don’t orient the
movement to the TMJ with the face
bow.
Type A :-limited eccentric motion possible
based on average values
E.g. mean value articulator.
 Type B:
limited eccentric motion possible based
on theories of arbitrary motion.
E.g. Monson’s & Hall articulator.
 Type C:
limited eccentric
motion possible based
on records obtained
from the patient.
E.g. House
articulator.
3. Class III
– Permit both vertical & horizontal movement
& accept a face bow transfer.
Type A:
accept static protrusive registration
eg Hanau H articulator.
– Type B:
accept lateral protrusive registration.
Eg Pandent , Trubite ,Teledyne Hanau
articulator.
4. Class IV:-
– Accept a 3D dynamic registration.
– Are capable of accurately reproducing the
condylar pathways for each patient.
– Accepts a face bow transfer.
 Type A:
the condylar path is determined by the
engraving registration obtained from the
patient. This path cannot be modified.
Eg. TMJ articulator.

Photo. Frontal view.

 Type B:
Similar to type A.
They allow angulation and customization
of the condylar path
E.g. Stuart instrument gnathoscope
Classification based on the adjustability
of the articulators.
1. Non adjustable

2. Semi adjustable

3. Fully adjustable.
1. Non adjustable:
– Can open or close in a fixed horizontal axis
– Have a fixed condylar path but lateral &
protrusive movements can be simulated.
2. Semi adjustable articulators:
– Have adjustable:
• Horizontal condylar paths

• Lateral condylar paths

• Incisal guide table

• Inter condylar distance .

– Two types:

1. Arcon

2. Non arcon.
a. Arcon articulators (arcon stands for
ARticulator CONdyle):
 Have condylar elements attached to the
lower member of the articulator
 The condylar guidance is attached to the
upper member .
 Resembles TMJ
– E.g. Hanau university series & Whipmix
articulators..
Hanau University series Whipmix
b. Non arcon articulators:
– Condylar elements attached to the upper member
– Condylar guidance attached to the lower member .
– Is reverse of the TMJ .
– E.g. Hanau H series, Dentatus & Gyasi.
c. Fully adjustable articulators:
– Are capable of being adjusted to follow the
mandibular movement in all directions.
– Have numerous adjustable readings which
can be customized for each patient.
– Don’t have condylar guidance.
– Not commonly used due to complexity.
– E.g. Denar 5a.
Denar 5a
Structure of mean value
articulator

Incisal pin

Incisal guide

Incisal guide
table
 Upper member Lower member

Condylar element
Condylar track

Maxillary
cast
retention pin
Incisal guidance of Incisal guidance of
articulator artificial arranged tooth

=
Condylar guidance of Condylar guidance of
TMJ
articulator

=
Hanau Wide Vue Articulator
 Semi- adjustable articulator
 Most commonly used
 Accept face bow transfer
 Capable of hinge and lateral movements.
 But has complex design
Parts
 Upper member
 Lower member
 Dowels
 Orbital indicator
 Roll pin
 Condylar shaft
 Condylar guidance: closed track and
open track
 Bennett angle(L)=H/8+12
 Incisal guide table
Mounting procedure

 Zeroing of an articulator
 Mounting of maxillary cast
 Mounting of mandibular cast
 General consideration

“Articulation”
Zeroing the articulator

 Movable surface
 Incisal pin
 Bennet angle
 Incisal guide table- incisal guide pin
relationship
 Lateral wing
Mounting of maxillary
cast

 Face bow with its bite fork attached to

maxillary occlusal rim is positioned in the
articulator
 Earpiece of face bow attached to roll pin
of the articulator(transfer posterior
reference point)
 Now anterior reference point by the help
of the orbital indicator which contacts
with orbital pointer of the face bow
Mounting the maxillary cast
 Face bow support
 Pivot :prevent vertical displacement of the
rim
 Once face bow attached, the upper
member is opened .
 Maxillary cast placed in slurry and placed
in record base of the occlusal rim
 Thick dental plaster placed
 Upper member closed and contoured to
good finish
Mounting mandibular cast

 Mounted after tentative vertical and

centric jaw relations
 Articulator inverted
 Mandibular occlusal rim over the
maxillary one
 Then cast placed
 And plaster is placed similar to
maxillary mounting
General consideration
 After articulation – anterior teeth
arrangement-anterior aesthetic trial
 Avoid errors in tooling
 Excess plaster cleaned
 Moving parts should be lubricated
periodically
 After articulation should be kept dry to
avoid rusting
 Should be stored in closed chamber at
least for an hour after articulation to
prevent corrosion
 Recent advances....
 Hanau model-mate plaster less
articulator
 No mess – no waste – no mixing- no
waiting
denar i tero articulator
Hanau ultimate articulator
Hanau 96H20 articulator
Hanau facia face bow
Hanau modular articulator
Hanau spring bow
Hanau mate average value articulator
Conclusion
 The late Carl O Boucher "It must be
recognised that the person operating
the instrument is more important
than the instrument. If dentists
understand articulators and their
deficiencies ,they can compensate for
their inherent inadequacies.”
References:
 The textbook of Prosthodontics:
Deepak Nallaswamy
 Essential of complete denture
Prosthodontics: Sheldon Winkler 2nd
edition
 Various internet sources.
Thank you