Articulators & Facebows
160 products
Dental articulators hold upper and lower casts in a reproducible relationship so that a restoration leaves the bench in occlusion. This department covers the whole range a lab needs, from disposable hinges for single-unit work to semi-adjustable instruments and the facebows that transfer the maxillary cast to them, across roughly 160 listings.
Whip Mix supplies most of the instrument side here, including the Hanau Springbow earpiece facebow for direct and indirect mounting, Denar occlusal stands and plastering stands, along with the mounting plates and replacement parts that keep an existing articulator in service. Keystone Industries covers chrome denture articulators and plasterless designs, RMH3 Dental Supply supplies zinc alloy spring articulators in small, medium and large, and Harvest Dental, Buffalo Dental, Ray Foster, Shofu Dental Corp and Bego fill in the rest of the bench.
The practical split in the dental articulators market is between throughput and accuracy. A disposable or spring articulator is the right tool for a crown, a bridge or a case being shipped, where a simple hinge is enough. An articulator dental lab teams use for full-mouth reconstruction, removable prosthetics or occlusal appliances needs condylar and Bennett settings and a facebow record behind it.
How to choose
- Match the instrument to the case: hinge or spring articulators for single units and shipping, semi-adjustable instruments for full-arch, removable and occlusal work.
- Decide whether you need a facebow. Without one, the maxillary cast is mounted to an average value rather than to the patient's hinge axis.
- Check the mounting system before you buy: plates, magnetic or screw mounting, and plasterless designs all commit you to a way of working.
- Count the cases per day. High-volume single-unit work is cheaper and faster on disposables bought by the hundred.
- Order mounting plates, plaster stands and replacement parts for the instrument you already own rather than replacing it.
- Think about shipping. Cases that travel are better mounted on a low-cost disposable articulator than on an instrument you want back.
Frequently asked questions
What does a dental articulator do?
It holds the maxillary and mandibular casts in a fixed, reproducible spatial relationship so that a technician can build and check a restoration in occlusion off the patient. Simple instruments reproduce opening and closing only; adjustable ones also approximate protrusive and lateral movement.
Do I need a facebow?
A facebow transfers the maxillary cast's relationship to the hinge axis and reference plane onto the articulator, which matters when the case changes vertical dimension or involves multiple units and excursive movement. Single-unit work mounted in maximum intercuspation usually does not need one.
What is a plasterless articulator?
One that holds casts with clamps, plates or pins instead of a mounting plaster mix. It saves the mounting and cleanup time on routine cases and keeps the bench cleaner, at some cost in rigidity and repeat accuracy against a plaster-mounted semi-adjustable instrument.
Can I use a disposable articulator for crown and bridge?
Yes. For single crowns, short spans and cases mounted in maximum intercuspation, a disposable hinge or spring articulator is normal practice, and buying them by the hundred is cheaper than tying up a precision instrument in a case that is being mailed out.
How are articulators and facebows shipped?
In-stock items ordered by 3 PM ET ship the same day from Northern Virginia. Disposables are stocked by the pack or bag of 100; instruments, facebows and replacement parts are stocked individually so an existing articulator can be repaired rather than replaced.