Dental articulator

Claim 1

An articulator of the type for monitoring and correcting the masticatory surfaces of an upper jaw and a lower jaw dental prosthesis model comprising: (a) a frame; (b) two reproduction bodies mounted on said frame; (c) mounting means for attaching a jaw model to each of said reproduction bodies; (d) articulation means connected to said reproduction bodies for moving said bodies in relation to each other to copy the articulative movements of a patient; (e) occlusion compensation means connected to at least one of said reproduction bodies for providing three-dimensional adjustment of a jaw model in relation to said reproduction body when said jaw is attached to said reproduction body, said compensation means including a compensation plate attached to one of said reproduction bodies; (f) a base plate attached to one of said reproduction bodies; (g) a centering ring attached to said compensation plate and having a plurality of threaded bores therein located about a horizontal plane of said ring; (h) a centering tube attached to said base plate and disposed within said centering ring with the longitudinal axis of said tube being perpendicular to, and projecting into, the horizontal plane defined by said bores; and (i) a plurality of centering screws threaded through said bores, one end of each of said screws abutting said centering tube so that the axis of said tube may be adjusted with respect to the axis of said ring upon reciprocation of said screws within their respective threaded bores.