Dental Articulator with Malleable Guide Tables for Jaw Movement Recording
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for simulating jaw or condylar movements in dental restorations and dentures fail to accurately record the unique path of motion, particularly neglecting the effects of both incisal and posterior guidance, leading to unreliable non-linear duplication of condylar guidance.
Innovation Solution
An improved dental articulator with patient-initiated, verbally coached maximal muscular effort recording three-dimensional jaw movements using malleable materials in condylar and anterior guide tables, allowing for precise simulation and interchangeability of dental casts, and a method involving functional generated path records to accurately replicate jaw movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods are used to simulate jaw movements, then the process is simple and quick, but the accuracy of recording the unique path of motion is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The articulator is divided into separate functional components: condylar tables for recording condylar movement paths, anterior guide tables for incisal guidance, and individualizable tables that can be customized for each patient. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in recording specific aspects of jaw movement, improving overall accuracy without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
Malleable material is placed in the condylar and anterior guide tables before the patient performs jaw movements. This preliminary preparation allows the material to capture the unique three-dimensional path of motion as the patient moves their jaw, recording both condylar and incisal guidance effects in advance of any adjustment needed.
2Reliability
If average value guide blocks are used, then the device is simple to operate, but the reliability of simulating individual patient movements is poor
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using uniform average value guide blocks, the invention employs individually customizable condylar and anterior guide tables that are tailored to each patient's specific jaw movement characteristics. The malleable material in each table records the unique local path of motion for that particular patient, ensuring reliable simulation of individual condylar guidance rather than relying on generalized averages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from fixed average value parameters to variable patient-specific parameters by using malleable material that adapts to and records the actual three-dimensional path of motion for each individual patient. This allows the articulator to dynamically adjust to capture unique movement patterns rather than being constrained by predetermined average values.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple try-in procedures are performed, then the fitting accuracy improves, but the time and number of adjustments required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The articulator with malleable condylar and anterior guide tables records the complete three-dimensional jaw movement path and both condylar and incisal guidance effects in a single initial setup. This preliminary accurate recording eliminates the need for multiple iterative try-in procedures, as the restoration can be fabricated with precise knowledge of the patient's unique movement characteristics from the beginning.
Solution Approach 2:
The malleable material provides immediate feedback by capturing the actual jaw movement path during the recording procedure. This feedback mechanism allows the dentist to verify the accuracy of the recorded path and make any necessary adjustments in a single procedure rather than relying on multiple trial fittings to achieve proper alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus for recording and simulating the condylar movement of an individual. This invention also provides a dental articulator which is designed to simulate the jaw or condylar movements of a patient. This instrument enables a dentist to obtain the necessary diagnostic information for treatment of the occlusal irregularities, such as malocclusion, and the fabrication of dental cast or “dentures”.