Date of Award
Spring 1996
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Dentistry
First Advisor
Ferguson, Donald J.
Second Advisor
Kittleson, Russell
Third Advisor
Bradley, T. G.
Abstract
From the time that dental articulators were first developed, there has been constant effort to improve the design to more accurately mimic the human model. It is reasonable to assume that the more closely an articulator resembles the patients temporomandibular joint complex, the more faithfully it will replicate mandibular movements, therefore producing better fitting appliances that require less time to adjust. Through the use of recent technology, such as arthroscopic surgery and joint imaging, a new concept in articulator design has been proposed in the Polycentric Hinge Joint Articulator (POLY). Whereas traditional articulators, such as the SAM-2, have used spherical shaped condyles and flat fossae, the POLY is designed with cylindrical shaped condyles that function in trough-like fossae. It is this feature that gives it the ability to reproduce "polycentric" movements; that the designers of the POLY believe are found in human subjects. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the accuracy of two articulators of different design (the POLY versus the SAM-2) in producing maxillary cone-splints. Twenty adult subjects having no history of joint dysfunction volunteered to participate in this study conducted at Marquette University. lModels were transferred from all subjects to each of the two articulators through the use of arbitrary facebows, and mounted in maximum intercuspation. Acrylic cones were constructed on "pull-down" bases to contact specific teeth of the mandibular arch. These cone-splints were then inserted on the subjects maxillary arch and the cone to tooth gap distances were measured with a leaf gauge and recorded. No statistically significant differences were found to exist in cone to tooth gap distances between the two articulators when examined via the paired t-test (p>0.05). However, the total cone to tooth gap distances for the sum of cones one through five were smaller for the POLY than those seen with the SAM-2.
Recommended Citation
Niland, Patrick A., "A Comparison of Articulator Accuracy in Maxillary Cone-Splint Fabrication: Polycentric Hinge Versus SAM-2" (1996). Master's Theses (1922-2009) Access restricted to Marquette Campus. 5320.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theses/5320