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ABSTRACT
One of the aims of prosthodontics is to reestablish teeth in concordance with temporomandibular joints. Articulator is a gadget that permits an administrator to create a restoration that will be physiologically and psychologically effective. The objective of this article was to depict the evolution of articulators as the years progressed. The online data was searched for the terms articulators, history, and early articulators. The alternative of "related articles" was likewise used. In this review we present the evolution of the articulators from the past to the present.
Keywords: Articulators; Temporo-Mandibular Joints; Evolution; History
INTRODUCTION
Articulators are mechanical devices that represent maxilla, mandible and temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Their main task is to provide a frame where it is possible to relate, in the three planes of space, maxillary cast with mandibular cast relative to the hinge axis of the patient and of the instrument [1]. An articulator can be defined as following: "It is a mechanical instrument that represents temporomandibular joints and jaws, to that maxillary and mandibular casts may be attached to simulate some or all mandibular movements" [2].
Early articulators were based on individual theories of occlusion. However, normal variations in mandibular movement between patients, and even variable movement of the joints in one patient required to design adjustable articulators. The challenge for the dentist is to choose an articulator that is suitable for specific purpose. This requires an understanding of the instrument, as well as a grasp of the treatment objectives for the given patient [3]. Very little is known about the origin of dental articulators. There are two early documented facts: 1) Phillip Pfaff was the first to describe wax impression procedure and a method of creating plaster casts; and 2) Jean Baptiste Gariot was the first one to describe a method for mounting casts and conserving their relationship with plaster index ("plaster articulator"). However, it must be recognized that because Gariot never claimed the procedure as an innovation, it was not associated to him. Even though "plaster articulators" were the first to be used for conserving the relations of casts, sometime before 1840, mechanical hinge articulators have become a new and widely used device for this purpose [4]. More sophisticated articulating devices advanced as more knowledge about anatomy, mandibular...