Abstract: An apparatus for use in dentistry to obtain positional data related to movement of a mandible about a maxilla comprises a rigid support frame for supporting a maxilla support member, a positionable mandibular member and sensing assemblies. The support member fixedly attaches to the support frame. The mandibular member is positionable proximate the maxilla member. The sensing assemblies attach to the support frame and connect to the mandibular member to obtain positional data related to the movement of the mandibular member. The positional data is collected by a computing device and stored in a data storage medium as time history files. The files can then be transformed into usable information to replicate the mandibular movement in real time either virtually or mechanically.

Abstract: An incisal guide for dental articulators or the like provided with an upper and a lower component which are movable relative to each other by way of a joint, the incisal guide being mountable on the upper or lower component and provided with a guide surface inclined with respect to a reference plane upon which an incisal pin is bearing and which, with a line of application of the greatest bearing force component denominated as normal, encloses an angle corresponding to the angle of protrusion and laterotrusion alignment of the human denture, at least one incisal table guide surface inclined relative to a reference plane being provided which may be positioned by a guide surface adjustment device, the articulator incisal pin during movement simulation moving over the predetermined incisal guide way on the incisal guide surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an articulator capable of completely and faithfully reproducing movements of a mandibular cast and maxillary cast. The articulator introduces a suspended mandibular member, the mandible being similar to that of in human beings. The mandible is suspended from the condyles in the glenoid fossa of the tempero mandibular joint. The articulator and the mandibular member are suspended between the maxillary member and the base representing the feet or base in a human. The articulator has a mechanism for anterior incisal guidance by providing incisal pins attached to the mandibular member. The incisal pin attached to the mandibular member creates the anterior guidance on an incisal table resting on the base. The articulator creates the possibility of the condyle executing pure rotary movement in the centric position until a vertical opening between the upper and lower jaws.

Abstract: An incisal guide for dental articulators or the like provided with an upper and a lower component which are movable relative to each other by way of a joint, the incisal guide being mountable on the upper or lower component and provided with a guide surface (6) inclined with respect to a reference plane upon which an incisal pin (5) is bearing and which, with a line of application of the greatest bearing force component denominated as normal, encloses an angle corresponding to the angle of protrusion and laterotrusion alignment of the human denture, at least one incisal table guide surface inclined relative to a reference plane being provided which may be positioned by a guide surface adjustment device (4), the articulator incisal pin during movement simulation moving over the predetermined incisal guide way on the incisal guide surface.

Abstract: A process for manufacture of manganese dioxide comprising subjecting an aqueous bath comprising manganese sulfate (MnSO4) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to electrolysis in a closed cell wherein the electrolysis bath is maintained at an elevated temperature above 110° C., preferably above 115° C. and at superatmospheric pressure. Desirably the bath can be maintained at an elevated temperature between about 115° C. and 155° C. The electrolysis is carried out preferably at elevated current density of between about 12.5 and 37 Amp/sq. ft (135 and 400 Amp/sq. meter) which allows for smaller or fewer electrolysis units. An MnO2 product having a specific surface area (SSA) within desired range of between 18-45 m2/g can be obtained. A doping agent, preferably a soluble titanium dopant is employed to help obtain the desired specific surface area (SSA) of the MnO2 product. The manganese dioxide product in zinc/MnO2 alkaline cells gives excellent service life, particularly in high power application.

Abstract: A working model for a lower jaw is disposed on the bottom of an articulator, a pair of support rods are disposed on both sides of the articulator so as to extend upward from the bottom of the articulator, a pair of joint portions are provided on top of the paired support rods to support both end portions of a shaft, a working model for an upper jaw is mounted to that shaft to permit movement of the upper working model relative to the lower working model, a pair of side pins are disposed at upper, right and left, outside positions of artificial teeth mounted into the articulator, and a tooth aligning device is mounted to the side pins. Further, a center pin is mounted along the midline of the articulator, and holding portions for mounting the tooth aligning device are formed on the support rods and the center pin.

Abstract: A caddy is provided for either permanent or removable attachment to a dental articulator for retaining one or more bite registrations at or near the dental articulator.

Abstract: An articurator is comprised of a mandibular frame being provided with condyles, a maxillary frame mounted on the mandibular frame via condylar guide mechanisms, an anterior guide table provided on the front end of the mandibular frame, and an anterior guide pin provided on the front end of the maxillary frame. The anterior guide table comprises a table portion and lateral wings. The table portion has a sagittal inclination angle adjusting mechanism, and the lateral wings has lateral wing angles adjusting mechanisms. The anterior guide pin makes contact with and slides on an anterior guide mechanism formed by the surface of the anterior guide table. The condylar guide mechanisms in which the condyle is positioned have condylar path inclination angle adjusting mechanisms. The sagittal inclination angle, the lateral wing angles, and the condylar path inclination angles are to be adjusted by two steps to specified values of a first group and to specified values of a second group.

Abstract: Dental articulator apparatus includes an articulator base, a post extending upwardly from the articulator base, and an upper articulator member movably mounted on the post. The apparatus incorporates upper and lower dental cast or mold supports which allow the molds to be snapped in place on the apparatus or readily removed therefrom. The apparatus also includes an incisal guide member support connected to the base and extending outwardly therefrom between the upper articulator member and the articulator base. The incisal guide member support has a number of incisal guide member support sides alternatively presented for engagement by an incisal guide member depending from the upper articulator member.

Abstract: A dental articulator includes an upper frame member and a lower frame member modeled substantially after a maxilla and mandible of a human jaw, respectively. The upper frame member includes a mounting area for attachment of an upper or maxillary dental cast. Two opposing fossae on the upper frame member include downwardly opening sockets similar to the fossae of a human jaw. The lower frame member includes a mounting area for attachment of a lower or mandibular dental cast. Two opposing condyles extend upwardly from the lower frame member to fit within the sockets of the fossae on the upper frame member. An elastic band is placed around the upper and lower frame members to yieldingly maintain the condyles within the sockets of the fossae. Each condyle/fossa pair forms a temporomandibular joint similar to that in a human jaw and allows the lower frame member to undergo protrusive and excursive movements which closely simulate the movement of a human mandible.

Abstract: A dental articulator having an upper support member for supporting a dental cast and a lower support member for supporting a second dental cast. A polycentric hinge joint is provided for simulating the temporomandibular joint of a patient. The polycentric hinge joint comprises a fossae block secured to the upper support member and a condyle member secured to the lower support member which engages a fossae recess in the fossae block. A spring is provided for securing the lower support member to the upper support member and simulating the muscles used for mastication. A pair of wires are provided for simulating the ligaments of a patient. The upper end of each wire passes through an opening in the upper support member. The lower end of each wire is secured to the lower support member. A limiting block is provided on the upper end of each of the wires so as to restrict its movement.

Abstract: A maxillary dental arch form is disclosed which enables orientation with a maxillary cast without the use of an articulator, relator or other such instrument. The maxillary dental arch form is provided with incisal pappila and hamular notch engaging members which engage corresponding representations of the incisal pappila and left and right hamular notches within the maxillary cast of the patient's maxillary alveolar ridge. Denture tie-in using conventional wax-up techniques can be quickly accomplished in fabricating partial or full artificial dentures.

Abstract: A dental articulator having a upper support member for supporting a dental cast and a lower support member for supporting a second dental cast. A polycentric hinge joint is provided for simulating the temporomandibular joint of a patient. The polycentric hinge joint comprises a fossae block secured to the upper support member and a condyle member secured to the lower support member which engages a fossae recess in the fossae block. A spring is provided for securing the lower support member to the upper support member and simulating the muscles used for mastication. A pair of wires are provided for simulating the ligaments of a patient. The upper end of each wire passes through an opening in the upper support member. The lower end of each wire is secured to the lower support member. A limiting block is provided on the upper end of each of the wires so as to restrict its movement.

Abstract: A method and device for reconstruction of teeth in an upper jaw wherein anterior guidance of the natural state is achieved even when front teeth are missing through the scanning of the contour curve of a tooth in the sagittal plane and the transferring by copying of the curve to each tooth to be reconstructed.

Abstract: A dental articulator has an anterior post having a C-shape to provide visual access to the front teeth. The upper and lower members of the articulator have dove-tail members for slidably receiving cup-like model carriers. The cup-like model carriers have sides of less than 360.degree., with a T-shaped beam on the bottom of the interior of the cup, and a pair of wedge-shaped beams on the bottom of the cup to slidably engage the dove-tail members. In alternative embodiments, the cup-like model carriers are bolted to the articulator, and can be rotatably indexed thereto.

Abstract: In order to allow positive and quick fixation as well as centric fixation of a condyle portion with a very simplified operation, a semi-adjustable dental articulator is of the construction that an adjusting-and-fixing knob of the adjustable guide plate for the condylar box is provided to protrude beyond the upper surface of the condylar box, and also that an orbita indicator is detachably, semi-fixedly and slidably mounted on the incisal guide pin. On a corner edge line between a back surface and an outer side surface of each of a pair of laterally spaced upright frame portions of an articulator body is provided with an indicator notch aligned with an occlusion plane in height and another indicator notch aligned with an ear in height.

Abstract: A tooth setting aid arrangement for use for positionally correctly setting artificial teeth in a complete lower denture on a lower jaw model in accordance with a Pound's line includes a holder which is positionally fixable with respect to the lower jaw model and is arched along an imaginary skullcap-shaped surface with a sagittal and transversal compensation curve, and two insert members which are pivotable and shiftable on the holder within the imaginary skullcap surface as well as arrestable in selected positions thereof relative to the holder for adjustment to the Pound's line. The holder is constituted by a bridge member which includes two plate-shaped bridge elements which are juxtaposed with one another and spaced from each other by a distancing element so as to bound an insertion space. Each of the insert members includes a straight portion and two arm portions which extend at an angle from one side of the straight portion.

Abstract: This invention relates to an articulator for checking or deciding the biting state of dentures in the mouth by associating upper and lower jaw arciforms for mounting a gypsum model to fabricate the dentures and arbitrarily producing a relative positional relationship between the upper and the lower jaw arciforms. A condyle sphere formed on the lower jaw arciform is supported by a condyle path plate formed at the upper jaw arciform. The condyle path plate is composed of side, upper and lower walls, and can be used as an archon box type or an archon slot type by the operation of the condyle path plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dental articulator in which the support table for the front tooth guide pin is disposed on the upper frame part and the adjustable front tooth guide pin is disposed on the lower frame part. The table plate of the support table is preferably divided into two regions, of which one region, which provides the central support, remains invariably in the horizontal position, while the other region, in which the excursions of the front tooth guide pin take place, is pivotable downwards at the front relative to the transverse axis of the articulator and can be locked in any desired inclined position. In addition, the support table is preferably arranged rotatably in the plane of its base surface, in order to be able to determine better the progression of the guide surfaces of the different teeth when a lateral movement is made.

Abstract: An articulator, for use in making dentures or parts thereof, comprises a lower and an upper principal member, which are interconnected by a condylar mechanism that allows relative movements between the principal members, a turnable incisal table attached to the lower principal member and an incisal pin lockably and vertically adjustably mounted in the upper principal member above the incisal table and having a tip pointing towards the table. The articulator has a separate freedom-in-centric guide table having an upper surface located outside the rotational center of the incisal table and an extra pin lockably and vertically adjustably mounted in the upper principal member above the freedom-in-centric guide table. The extra pin is mounted at the side of the incisal pin in a separate locking device and has a tip pointing towards the guide table.

Abstract: An articulation detector for articulators of the kind wherein condylar elements mounted on a lower jaw member and glenoid fossae assemblies of an upper jaw member are made of a conductive material, comprises an electric power source, a luminous element and a pair of detecting electrode, all of which are connected in series. The electrodes are adapted to be connected to the lower jaw member and an incisal pin mounted on the upper jaw member of the articulator when the detector is in use. The adjustment of the articulator or prosthetic appliances may be detected by observing the light emitted from the luminous element.

Abstract: A dental articulator has a tooth supporting tray secured to a platform by a key and keyway wherein the sidewalls of the keyway are resiliently supported to permit yielding of the sidewalls to overcome any clogging by particulate matter which may be present in a place of use of the articulator. A set of legs upstanding from the tray maintains orientation of the tray relative to the platform.

Abstract: A surgical dental articulator having a pivotable frame to which a pair of independently adjustable cantilevers carrying opposed dental casts are mounted. The dental casts are mounted to the cantilever for movement along the cantilever axis and for pivotal movement about a first pivot axis normal to the cantilever axis. The cantilevers are each mounted to the frame by a cantilever support assembly which includes linear support and pivot assemblies. The linear support assembly includes a first transverse support fixedly mounted to the frame and defining a first linear path and a second transverse support slidably mounted to the first transverse support for movement parallel to the first linear path and defining a second linear path perpendicular to the first linear path. The pivot assembly is slidably mounted to the second linear support along the second linear path via a pair of pivot arms.

Abstract: A dental articulator comprises an upper frame, a lower frame and a pair of condyle assemblies which permit articulating relative motion of the frames. The condyle assemblies each permit individual adjustment in an antero-posterior direction and a superior-inferior direction thus making possible the simulation study and correction of temporo-mandibular joint dysfunctions.

Abstract: A dental jaw simulator is provided for duplicating human jaw movements and, in particular, the movement of the lower human jaw. The simulator includes a support frame and an upper jaw member pivotally mounted on the support frame and which is adapted to receive an upper dental arch cast. A lower jaw member is also mounted on the support frame and is adapted to receive a lower dental arch cast. Movement of the lower jaw member in protrusive and retrusive directions and in a lateral direction is controlled by a ball and slot hinge arrangement in combination with a movable anterior platform mounted on the support frame and a forward pin connected to the lower jaw member and which engages and is movable relative to the anterior platform. The anterior platform is provided with sloping planes on which the forward pin moves to guide the lower jaw member in order to duplicate the dropping of the lower human jaw during lateral movement.