Articulators in Dentistry

Articulators are mechanical instruments that represent the maxilla, mandible and TMJs The instrument is then used in the fabrication of fixed and removable dental restorations that are in harmony with those movements. It is often said, "the patient's mouth is the best articulator. " This statement is reinforced by the fact that the final test for a dental restoration is the occlusal harmony obtained when the restoration is placed in the patient's mouth. Yet, mechanical articulators do have many advantages over the mouth for developing the patient's occlusion An articulator serves as a patient in the absence of the patient because it can be programmed with patient records that allows the operator to fabricate a restoration that will be physiologically and psychologically successful. The history of the development of Articulators is filled with many interesting theories and conflicting concepts. "It must be recognized 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 in adequacies".