An articulator having a maxillary member and a mandibular member, which are connected to each other via condylar articulations, wherein a maxillary adaptor is attachable or attached at the maxillary member and a mandibular adaptor at the mandibular member, wherein a maxillary alignment member especially is form-fittingly connected to the maxillary adaptor and a mandibular alignment member is especially form-fittingly connected with the mandibular adaptor, and wherein the alignment members are automatically alignable to each other and comprising scanning members, by means of which the arrangement of alignment members and adaptors is scannable in a scanner and especially the relative position thereof moreover is detectable in relation to the articulator via the scanner.

The device for recording vertical and centric occlusion positions of edentulous jaws is a tool which allows a dental practitioner to maintain maxillary and mandibular record bases (and their respective wax rims) in their respective vertical and centric occlusion positions during transfer of the maxillary and mandibular record bases to a conventional dental articulator. A pair of telescopically adjustable rods are provided for measuring the vertical occlusion position of the patient's edentulous jaws. Each of the telescopically adjustable rods has a selectively adjustable and lockable height, with the opposed ends thereof being releasably secured to the maxillary and mandibular record bases, respectively. The telescopically adjustable rods are also horizontally adjustable with respect to the maxillary and mandibular record bases, allowing the centric occlusion position of the patient's edentulous jaws to be recorded.

The device for recording vertical and centric occlusion positions of edentulous jaws is a tool which allows a dental practitioner to maintain maxillary and mandibular record bases (and their respective wax rims) in their respective vertical and centric occlusion positions during transfer of the maxillary and mandibular record bases to a conventional dental articulator. A pair of telescopically adjustable rods are provided for measuring the vertical occlusion position of the patient's edentulous jaws. Each of the telescopically adjustable rods has a selectively adjustable and lockable height, with the opposed ends thereof being releasably secured to the maxillary and mandibular record bases, respectively. The telescopically adjustable rods are also horizontally adjustable with respect to the maxillary and mandibular record bases, allowing the centric occlusion position of the patient's edentulous jaws to be recorded.

The invention provides a method for creating a physical teeth model. The method comprises the following steps: providing a virtual three dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dentition that comprises at least a region of the teeth that includes a tooth stump on which a crown is to be fitted or a region on to which a bridge is to be fitted; and preparing a physical model of the jaws of a subject from a blank, based on information from said virtual 3D image.

One embodiment of the apparatus and method comprises a physical recording instrument (2000) for forming a right and a left side engraved analog (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently attached to a physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with timing controls then serving as guides for simulating the motion of mounted patient dental models (142). Another embodiment comprises a digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently milled or digitally formed in a CNC rapid prototyping machine, the analogs (150) then being attached to the physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with the timing controls serving as guides for simulating the motion. Some of the foregoing embodiments facilitate production of technologist fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments. Another embodiment comprises the digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150) and a virtual articulating instrument (5000) for virtual simulating of mandibular jaw motion. Some of these digital workflow embodiments facilitate production of milled or digitally fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments.

One embodiment of the apparatus and method comprises a physical recording instrument (2000) for forming a right and a left side engraved analog (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently attached to a physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with timing controls then serving as guides for simulating the motion of mounted patient dental models (142). Another embodiment comprises a digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently milled or digitally formed in a CNC rapid prototyping machine, the analogs (150) then being attached to the physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with the timing controls serving as guides for simulating the motion. Some of the foregoing embodiments facilitate production of technologist fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments. Another embodiment comprises the digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150) and a virtual articulating instrument (5000) for virtual simulating of mandibular jaw motion. Some of these digital workflow embodiments facilitate production of milled or digitally fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments.

Articulatorsemiadjustable, arcon with lower and upper parts that could be detached from one another or interconnected, with two mechanical joints. An upper horizontal shoulder (5) is fixed to an elevator (4), said elevator (4) is connected to an upper vertical body (11) and can move vertically to adjust the vertical position. A lower vertical body (10) is fixed to the base (1) and holds an axis with two joint heads (14). The upper vertical body (11) is pivotably connected to the lower vertical body (10) through the two joint heads (14), the distance between the joint heads can vary due to an elastic element (18), thus reproducing the lateral shift. The articulation between the vertical bodies (11 and 10) can be locked and unlocked via an elbow shaped piece (13). The articulator lower part has an incisive platform (8) with a position angle that could be adapted.

A dental articulator apparatus and method of forming dental casts utilizing a dental articulator having pivotally connected upper and lower arms that each have a ball socket which receives a ball at the outer end of a respective model anchor, the opposed end of which is cast into a dental model. The model anchor ball is adjustably secured in the ball socket of the articulator arms by a set screw coupled with a rotatable magnetic extension rod that are installed, removed, advanced, and retracted as a unit and allow relative rotation between the set screw and the extension rod to facilitate fitting and positioning the ball in the socket when the set screw is loosened, and eliminate manually installing and positioning separate small shims and plungers that can be accidentally dropped and lost.

A dental articulator apparatus and method of forming dental casts utilizing a dental articulator having pivotally connected upper and lower arms that each have a ball socket which receives a ball at the outer end of a respective model anchor, the opposed end of which is cast into a dental model. The model anchor ball is adjustably secured in the ball socket of the articulator arms by a set screw coupled with a rotatable magnetic extension rod that are installed, removed, advanced, and retracted as a unit and allow relative rotation between the set screw and the extension rod to facilitate fitting and positioning the ball in the socket when the set screw is loosened, and eliminate manually installing and positioning separate small shims and plungers that can be accidentally dropped and lost.

This invention is directed to a positioning jig for preparing a two or more of adjacent teeth for a dental prosthesis comprising a member with (i) three or more parallel bores in the member and (ii) one or more means to attach the member to a dental articulator. The invention is also directed to methods of use of the position jig such as to prepare a series of aligned holes in teeth or aligned holes mockup of a dental bridge for a prosthesis.