ARTICULATORS THROUGH THE YEARS REVISITED: FROM 1751-1970

Abstract

There have been a series of articulators that have been introduced if we glance at the past; the numbers are many and the dentist becomes confused as to which one to choose. This Article continues an historical review, begun in the previous issue, on the nature of mandibular movement for the purpose of reproducing these movements in an articulator. Simple hinge articulators became commonplace, but by the turn of the 20th century, the natural variability of the condylar paths, both between individuals and from side to side in the same individual, had begun to be recognized and appreciated as important determinants of mandibular movement. Undoubtedly, the investigators’ interpretations of what they observed varied greatly. This is demonstrable in the features of their articulators. From the inspired to the near-genius and from the “ridiculous to the sublime,” these articulators simply reflected what was perceived to be the anatomic and kinesthetic characteristics of mandibular movement. are described.