Year : 2016

Volume : Volume 6

Issue : Issue 1s

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Jyoti Beniwal
jyotibeniwal@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  Articulators vary widely in the accuracy with which they reproduce the movements of the mandible. Some articulators are very simple as they do little more than simulate the hinge motion of the mandible and hold the casts in centric relation. At the other extreme, complicated articulators are also available which require very complex recording apparatus and they aim to simulate all the jaw movements. None of the articulators exactly reproduce the full range of jaw movements, nor is the reproduction of such a range required for fabrication of any kind of prosthesis. Many instruments fall between these two categories as they provide a more or less accurate reproduction of movement. The challenge for the dentist is to choose an articulator that is suitable for the purpose at hand, neither more nor less complicated than necessary. An emerging understanding of the neurophysiology of mandibular movement and the influence of several morphological and behavioral considerations led to the notion that each patient is his or her own best articulator. Therefore the diverse, and frequently subtle, variations required for each individual occlusion could be more easily achieved with an adjustable articulator that accepts a variety of records. The final programming of occlusion can then be done intraorally as required. The new Virtual articulator provides interesting modules for presenting and analyzing the dynamic contacts of the occlusal surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular teeth and the relation to condylar movement. It is a basic tool that deals primarily with the functional aspects of occlusion; however, it also can be regarded as a core tool in many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and in the CAD/CAM manufacture of dental restorations.

Keywords: Articulator, dentistry, Prosthodontics.