Purpose?
Plan contacts outside the mouth.
← All explanationsDental articulator
Why are dental models mounted in a hinged device?
An articulator is a dental laboratory device that holds upper and lower models in relation to each other. It can approximate certain jaw movements. This helps assess contacts and available space outside the mouth; it does not replace a functional examination of the person.
For training & practice ↓
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Choose a view
Relate the models
The recorded jaw relationship determines model mounting. Transfer errors can affect contacts seen on the models.
Represent movement
Depending on the device and settings, opening and other movements are approximated. Not all articulators reproduce the same movements.
Check in the mouth
A contact planned on a model needs clinical checking. Muscles, tissues and individual circumstances are represented only incompletely in the device.
Read the full explanation
Relate the models
The recorded jaw relationship determines model mounting. Transfer errors can affect contacts seen on the models.
Represent movement
Depending on the device and settings, opening and other movements are approximated. Not all articulators reproduce the same movements.
Check in the mouth
A contact planned on a model needs clinical checking. Muscles, tissues and individual circumstances are represented only incompletely in the device.
Notes on the teaching images
- An articulator places upper and lower casts in a transferred relationship.
- The device can model selected jaw movements. It does not automatically reproduce every individual movement exactly.
- The laboratory aid does not replace intraoral checks. Actual contacts and symptoms remain important.
At a glance
Basis?
Models and appropriate relationship records.
Final step?
Clinical checking of the restoration.
Knowledge in motion
Explained in 36 seconds.
Three steps. No audio.
Each scene can also be selected manually.
Silent educational film with German on-screen text and simplified teaching images. Not a patient case or a promised treatment outcome. The full English explanation is available as text.
Often confused
Articulator and bite record
A bite record captures a relationship between the jaws. An articulator uses such information to relate the models.
Quick answers
Is an articulator the same as a jaw joint?
No. It is a mechanical approximation. Biological movement and symptoms cannot be fully reproduced.
Are there digital articulators?
Yes. Software can model these relationships and movements. Input quality and modelling assumptions still determine their usefulness.
Does every restoration need the same process?
No. Planning requirements depend on the type and extent of the restoration. More settings alone do not prove a better result.
At the practice
For a personal discussion
Editorially suggested question to discuss with Dr Niusha Barahmand Pour:
Which contacts are planned for my restoration and then checked in my mouth?
Does a restoration's bite feel unfamiliar? Actual contacts should be checked in the mouth.
Discuss bite contactsAppointment selection at DoctolibLearning layer for training & practiceUnderstand terminology and deepen knowledge
- Jaw relationship
- The spatial relationship between upper and lower jaws.
- Occlusion
- Contact relationships between upper and lower teeth.
- Simulation
- A simplified representation of a process.
Make the distinction
A bite record captures a relationship between the jaws. An articulator uses such information to relate the models.
Sources and context
Editorial research: . General information, not an individual diagnosis or treatment recommendation. Teaching illustrations are simplified and do not depict a patient case.