Method for creating a universal mount for dental articulators

A method of mounting dental models on a calibrated articulator movable between open and closed positions, comprising the steps of:

• releasably attaching identical mounting plates to a replica of upper and lower dental models;
• positioning the replica and attached mounting plates between opposing upper and lower frame members of the articulator;
• fixing the mounting plates to the upper and lower frame members when said frame members are in a closed position substantially parallel to one another;
• detaching the replica from the mounting plates fixed to the upper and lower frame members of the articulator;
• fixing a first dental model to a first base plate;
• releasably attaching the first base plate to the mounting plate fixed to one of said upper or lower frame members of the articulator;
• releasably attaching a second base plate to the mounting plate fixed to the other of said upper or lower frame members of the articulator;
• and
• fixing a second dental model to the second base plate so that said first and second dental models are properly aligned with one another when the upper and lower frame members of the articulator are in the closed position.

A method of mounting upper and lower dental models on a calibrated articulator while maintaining proper alignment between said upper and lower dental models, said articulator being movable between open and closed positions, and said method comprising the steps of:

• forming a replica having a central portion to simulate a set of upper and lower dental models in a confronting relationship, and top and bottom surfaces to simulate identical base plates attached to the simulated dental models;
• releasably attaching identical mounting plates to the top and bottom surfaces of the replica;
• positioning the replica and attached mounting plates between opposing upper and lower frame members of the articulator;
• fixing the mounting plates to the upper and lower frame members when said frame members are in a closed position substantially parallel to one another;
• detaching the top and bottom surfaces of the replica from the mounting plates fixed to the corresponding upper and lower frame members of the articulator;
• fixing a first dental model to a first base plate;
• releasably attaching the first base plate to the mounting plate fixed to one of said upper or lower frame members of the articulator;
• releasably attaching a second base plate to the mounting plate fixed to the other of said upper or lower frame members of the articulator;
• and
• fixing a second dental model to the second base plate so that said first and second dental models are properly aligned with one another when the upper and lower frame members of the articulator are in the closed position.

A method of calibrating an articulator for releasably mounting different sets of dental models while maintaining a proper alignment between said dental models, said articulator having opposing upper and lower frame members and being movable between open and closed positions, said method comprising the steps of:

• releasably attaching upper and lower mounting plates to a replica of a set of upper and lower dental models, said replica adapted to receive the mounting plates and uniformly align the mounting plates relative to each other;
• positioning the replica and said mounting plates releasably attached thereto between the opposing upper and lower frame members of the articulator;
• fixing the mounting plates to the upper and lower frame members when said frame members are in the closed position substantially parallel to one another;
• and
• detaching the replica from the mounting plates fixed to the upper and lower frame members of the articulator, thereby leaving the mounting plates fixedly aligned relative to each other on the articulator such that the dental models can be uniformly mounted on any articulator calibrated in the same manner.