Many of the diagnostic and reconstructive methods and procedures in the dentistry require that the basic movements of the lower jaw and the and the mutual relations of the dental arcs be visualized and reproduced outside of the patient's mouth To be able to do that we need a device which would simulate the movements of the lower jaw and the different relations of the jaws inside the mouth.

ARTICULATORS are devices which imitate the jaw complex and which can be set to simulate certain segments of the jaw movements. In the other words it is a mechanical device which represents the temporomandibulary articulations and the components of a jaw to which the models of the upper and lower jaw can be mounted and which simulates the jaw movements.

The main purpose of the articulator is to cast the model of the jaws in a given relation so we could be able to conduct the diagnostic and reconstructive procedures outside of the patient's mouth. It is important that the articulator reproduce precisely the contact relations of the surfaces of upper and lower teeth in the central and extreme positions of the lower jaw, in order to make the prosthetic device in the conditions that perfectly imitate the reality.

Today one can not imagine the prosthetics without the use of the articulator especially when performing big prosthetic works such as circular bridges, implants, etc..

The most common complication caused by the bad articulation of a prosthetic device is the excessive load of one or several teeth which further causes pain, desorption (disappearance) of the bone and weakening of the tooth or implant. Also, one of the common complications are the pain in the mandibular articulation or migraine since the mandibular articulation is placed very close to the brain.

Dr Bujas,

Dentalium Dental Office