Dental model and process of making same

A method of making a dental mode comprising

• pouring a first layer of dental casting material into a negative mold of a person's teeth and gums;
• positioning an elongate, tapered pin on the first layer of dental casting material;
• continuing to pour dental casting material around the elongate pin to encapsulate at least the central portion of said pin that is positioned above the teeth impressions of said mold, but allowing at least one end of said pin to extend from the dental casting material;
• allowing the dental casting material to cure into an integral solid model of the teeth and gums of the mold, with said model having said pin embedded therein;
• removing the model containing the embedded pin from said negative mold;
• withdrawing the pin from said model;
• sawing cuts partially through the solid cast material of the model at desired positions relative to the teeth in the model;
• snap breaking the cast material of the model at each of the cuts to form separate sections of the model;
• and
• reassembling the sections by stacking the section side-by-sdie on said pin.

A method of making a dental model comprising

• pouring first layers of dental casting material into a pair of negative molds corresponding to a person's upper and lower teeth and gums;
• positioning an elongate, tapered pin on the respective first layers of dental casting material;
• continuing to pour dental casting material around each of the elongate pins to encapsulate at least the central portion of each said pin that is positioned above the teeth impressions of the corresponding mold, but allowing at least one end of each said pin to extend from the dental casting material;
• allowing the dental casting material in each mold to cure into integral solid models of the teeth and gums of the respective molds, with each of said models having a respective pin embedded therein;
• removing the models containing the respective embedded pins from said negative molds;
• withdrawing the pins from said models;
• sawing cuts partially through the solid cast material of each of the models at desired positions relative to the teeth in the models;
• snap breaking the cast material of each of the models at each of the cuts to form separate sections of the respective models;
• reassembling the sections of each respective model on a corresponding pin;
• and
• respective one ends of each pin of said models are removably attached to opposite ends of a flexible, resilient element, whereby the flexible, resilient element forms an articulation member that allows the two models of the teeth and gums to move in lateral or protrusive movements and then back into centric occlusion.