Removable Articulator

[drm313mac]

Greetings,

Yes, there have been other threads on articulators, but I am looking for semi-adjustable, removable prosth., easy to mount and re-mount, adaptable with an excellent facebow, AND cost effective (as I will purchase several).

I am looking for the ideal semi-adjustable articulator to be used exclusively in removable. I define "ideal" as easy to use for both the tech and everyone else, but especially the tech. It must be cost effective, and say while the Stratos 200 is, the mounting plates are not. The facebow must be as well, and work well with the articulator.

I was @ DentalTown for some time, asking questions, but finally came to the realization that lab techs seem to know more. Sure, prosthodontists know a lot (and always seem ready to admit this),but in terms of practical technical work, do they? For example, I am looking into various articulators, with most it seems designed for prosthodontists doing full-mouth rehabs. Sure, many instances of overbite and overjet I will deal with, but really severe cases I will refer out, so I do not need a complex device.

The hinged will work fine for say monoplane, but do I really want to use it all the time? My upper end dentures will not be monoplane, and so the adjustable articulator is rather essential.
The fully adjustable I do not need for removable, unless it is old-school (like me),such as the older Hanau 182-3 or Whipmix 8500.
Therefore, for removable I am looking at semi-adjustable. I need something easy to mount and re-mount, cost effective, easy to use both for the doc as well as the tech, ESPECIALLY the tech. Why? The tech creates the denture, is working with it the most, and other than the facebow, how much involvement will I have by comparison?

The Artex seemed to have been designed by techs for techs, and their facebow seems decent. Then again, are they? Are these good in your hands?

I thank you in advance.

Dr. David McGuire

 

[Smilestyler]

Don't you re use your stratos mounting plates? I bought a bag of 50 years ago and most of them are still in the bag. (I don't use the magnetic plates)

 

[CRWNMKR]

use the stratos and calibrate yours with the labs using the jig and magnetic plates from ivoclar, great system

 

[drm313mac]

Don't you re use your stratos mounting plates? I bought a bag of 50 years ago and most of them are still in the bag. (I don't use the magnetic plates)

With a klutz like me with all thumbs, I have destroyed quite a few plates trying to clean them

Answering both of you, why/why not use magnetic plates? Magnetic seems easier to remount, though if I purchase several units for each tech, this becomes a non-issue.

Also, how easy and accurate is their facebow and measuring system? Regarding same, I am assuming then that techs prefer the transfer ease of this system?

 

[Flipperlady]

Greetings,

Yes, there have been other threads on articulators, but I am looking for semi-adjustable, removable prosth., easy to mount and re-mount, adaptable with an excellent facebow, AND cost effective (as I will purchase several).

I am looking for the ideal semi-adjustable articulator to be used exclusively in removable. I define "ideal" as easy to use for both the tech and everyone else, but especially the tech. It must be cost effective, and say while the Stratos 200 is, the mounting plates are not. The facebow must be as well, and work well with the articulator.

I was @ DentalTown for some time, asking questions, but finally came to the realization that lab techs seem to know more. Sure, prosthodontists know a lot (and always seem ready to admit this),but in terms of practical technical work, do they? For example, I am looking into various articulators, with most it seems designed for prosthodontists doing full-mouth rehabs. Sure, many instances of overbite and overjet I will deal with, but really severe cases I will refer out, so I do not need a complex device.

The hinged will work fine for say monoplane, but do I really want to use it all the time? My upper end dentures will not be monoplane, and so the adjustable articulator is rather essential.
The fully adjustable I do not need for removable, unless it is old-school (like me),such as the older Hanau 182-3 or Whipmix 8500.
Therefore, for removable I am looking at semi-adjustable. I need something easy to mount and re-mount, cost effective, easy to use both for the doc as well as the tech, ESPECIALLY the tech. Why? The tech creates the denture, is working with it the most, and other than the facebow, how much involvement will I have by comparison?

The Artex seemed to have been designed by techs for techs, and their facebow seems decent. Then again, are they? Are these good in your hands?

I thank you in advance.

Dr. David McGuire

Hi there,
Don't discount prosth's, most know their stuff, they may not be willing to share everything though. Old school would go with the hanau's, they are still the old work horse for articulators, you can go down in price (Shofus'/ barn door hinge or up in price as wanted). the shofu is a nice,cheap semi- adjustable.
There is a place for monoplane so don't discount them ex... nursing home, no ridge etc...
My advice would be to make really good friends with a prosth to send the cases you can't/ don't want to do.

 

[drm313mac]

Hi there,
Don't discount prosth's, most know their stuff, they may not be willing to share everything though. Old school would go with the hanau's, they are still the old work horse for articulators, you can go down in price (Shofus'/ barn door hinge or up in price as wanted). the shofu is a nice,cheap semi- adjustable.
There is a place for monoplane so don't discount them ex... nursing home, no ridge etc...
My advice would be to make really good friends with a prosth to send the cases you can't/ don't want to do.

Hello again;

Prosthodontists: I intend to send them the cases I do not wish to marry. For reasons they are really difficult, or the patient themselves, or the liability, I always am willing to refer.

Monoplane and Semi-: The most basic seem to be the Artek or Shofu, and I am considering these for the lower-end dentures w/ monoplane occlusion. I always recommend these for the immediates as well, and even for the lowest priced denture, I refuse to compromise fit or overall accuracy.

And I still appreciate your input. Most of the time.

 

[Smilestyler]

I don't use magnetic plates for my stratos because of the cost. I have a 100, 200, and 300 and it was pricey to get all 3 modified. I have a Candulator with magnetic plates and I do like it though! I clean all my mounting plates with an air chisel and the plaster falls off easily. My dad who is an old school dental tech soaks them in water and gives them one tap with one of those flask knives and a hammer. We've never wrecked one, but have thrown out ones that don't look so nice. BTW I use the stratos 100 for basic cases, and the 300 for all implant and precision dentures.
The UTS transferbow for the stratos is hands down the easiest facebow I have ever used. I use polyvinyl bite registration (any will do) and I have the clinical aspect of the facebow done before it is set (1 min.) In the lab, I pull the pin and table off of the stratos and put on the holders and the max cast is mounted in less than 5 min. The only burden of using this facebow opposed to no facebow is that I have to sterilize the mouth and ear pieces. (obviously not enough reason not to facebow)

edit; the UTS facebow is quite accurate. Remember all you are doing is relating the occlusion to the TMJ's. If the tighteners are snug, its pretty hard to miss. The Hanau springbow could miss if the tighteners would bind on their slides, but not possible on the UTS because it uses mutiple hinges instead.

 

[Flipperlady]

Hello again;

Prosthodontists: I intend to send them the cases I do not wish to marry. For reasons they are really difficult, or the patient themselves, or the liability, I always am willing to refer.

Monoplane and Semi-: The most basic seem to be the Artek or Shofu, and I am considering these for the lower-end dentures w/ monoplane occlusion. I always recommend these for the immediates as well, and even for the lowest priced denture, I refuse to compromise fit or overall accuracy.

And I still appreciate your input. Most of the time.

Are you that denture dentist in Colorado, I forget the name? I don't think we've met?

 

[JohnWilson]

Go Here, these plates are great and equally good and much cheaper. There new copy articulator to the Panadent will be out soon with the new coating. I have one pre ordered.

AD2 Dental Articulators : Articulador Dental : Advance Dental Designs, Inc.

 

[drm313mac]

Are you that denture dentist in Colorado, I forget the name? I don't think we've met?

No. You are referring to the guy that sells that non-milled two-step denture, whose name I forgot as well.

I am a dentist, yes. I do dentures, yes, and have been involved w/ them since long before dental school. I do extractions w/ bone grafts every time, and have been doing so since long before it was popular to do so.

Happy?

 

[Flipperlady]

No. You are referring to the guy that sells that non-milled two-step denture, whose name I forgot as well.

I am a dentist, yes. I do dentures, yes, and have been involved w/ them since long before dental school. I do extractions w/ bone grafts every time, and have been doing so since long before it was popular to do so.

Happy?

Still can't place you, oh well.

 

[denturist-student]

drm313mac: Have you tried a Kavo Protar yet? The feedback I am getting is good.

 

[drm313mac]

Go Here, these plates are great and equally good and much cheaper. There new copy articulator to the Panadent will be out soon with the new coating. I have one pre ordered.

AD2 Dental Articulators : Articulador Dental : Advance Dental Designs, Inc.

John,

Are you advocating the articulator as well, or just the mounting plates? What is the ~ cost of the mounting plates?

The new AD2 you say is a copy of the Panadent? Which model (17 or 18)? It is semi-adjustable, I assume? Acceptable for use with removable?

The AD2 facebow seems a better design than that of the Panadent, or the old Hanau I have.

 

[JohnWilson]

Mounting plates are a 1/3 of the prices for both the stratos and panadent. I have not used the new articulator, I am waiting for a new version that should be out. Dry soon that has a green anodize coating that plaster and other grime will not stick to easily. They are semi adjust and yes they are perfect for denture work.

 

[CoolHandLuke]

re: stratos magnetic mounting plates. Ivoclar sells a set of two dies, with rubber bands, that are used to create your own magnetic mounting plates using dental stone or plaster and a washer from your local hardware store. simply lubricate the steel dies, attach the rubber band around the outside, slip a washer over the magnet, and pour the die in the stone or plaster of your choice. lay it down to dry and you have two mounting plates that cost you pennies to make. baby oil works as a good die lubricant, as does any silicone spray.

if you manufacture your own stratos rings using a plastic printer (with nipples to snap a washer onto) you are again ahead of the curve, and it cost you pennies.

 

[drm313mac]

Then I have another question, for all:

Pertaining to dentures only, say if given the choice between a semi-adjustable such as AD2 or even Stratos 200, versus an old-school fully adjustable such as what I used, the WhipMix 8500 or the Hanau 182-3, which would you choose? In other words, do we in dentures really need all that adjustability?

John, how well do the AD2 systems hold up over time?

 

[denturist-student]

I have both the Whipmix and Hanau articulators sitting on a shelf. The older models do not have immediate side shift which is a necessity in removables. Without immediate sideshift the bite has to be right on but the sideshift allows some measure of lateral shifting in the bite, a necessity for denture and removable patients. Most teeth are not milled to incorporate side shift but they are milled in during the remount phase to incorporate it. The whipmix 8500 is a nice articulator for simple crown and bridgework but its main problem is that it is too easy to loose absolute centric. It also incorporates errors if one doesn't maintain the contact in the condylar elements fossae. Ergo you have to handle it appropriately and keep the condylar elements in contact during excursions...The other minus is that they require protrusive records. The 8500 was meant for mounting a case and finishing it....The Ivoclar Stratos 300 has built in side shift which is somewhat adjustable and the mechanism automatically incorporates it into the border movement excursions. It also does not require protrusive because they have a programmed fossae which simulates the s curve of a normal tmj fossa. However the adjustable incisal guide is only an option but very necessary for partial cases because wear of the model occurs very quickly when going into lateral excursions. This causes premature contacts across the arch. We have been taught how to use the hanau modular which has programmed fossae too. Another important feature of the upper scale articulators is centric lock....The Stratos 300 has a protrusive lock on it when setting up the protrusive curves and in implementing Hanau's quint...Good luck with your removable articulator choice... I would go with the Ivoclar 300 with its matching facebow and so many accessories....I am looking at several on ebay....Take care and keep up the good work....An elderly starter.

 

[Bobby Orr ceramics]

David, forget the facebow approach all together..... get the Stratos or AccuLiner to employ mounting with the HIP plane. The accuracy and user-friendly technique will save you a TON of headaches and $$$ . Any case you design for smiles, full mouth rehab, dentures (which are full mouth rehabs),etc. .... they all need to be set up and analyzed with that proper maxillary position before anything is created. Cross-referencing the mounting to a Digital Stick Bite photo will verify the mounting.

PM me with any questions, , James(aka Bobby Orr Ceramics)