Definition of Dental Articulator:
A mechanical device which represents the temporomandibular joint and the jaw members to which maxillary and mandibular casts may be attached to simulate jaw movements.
How to Select Dental Articulators for Fabrication of Complete Denture
- If occlusal contacts are to be perfected in centric occlusion only, a simple sturdy hinge type articulator without provision for lateral or protrusive movements can be selected.
- This type of instrument as been called one dimensional because only one interocclusal record is necessary for its adjustment and use.
- If denture teeth are to have a cross arch and cross tooth balanced occlusion, the minimum requirement is a semi adjustable articulator.
- This may be an instrument with individually adjustable condylar guidance’s in both horizontal and vertical plane. Example: hanau university series, whip mix articulator, dentatus articulator.
- If more control of occlusion is desired a completely adjustable three dimensional articulator is used.
- It requires a centric relation record , some means for controlling the height and inclinations of cusps.
- The means for their adjustment may be interocclusal records or three dimensional graphic tracing made by kinematic face bow.
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