AccuLiner
Interested in purchasing a AccuLiner?
The AccuLiner used as a dental/craniofacial analyzer and dental articulator was developed by Dr. Carlson nearly 40 years ago during the early 1990’s. Currently, it is the only dental articulating instrument that accurately relates the maxillary model to the cranial base and to the horizontal, vertical, & transverse reference planes of the skull as well as can accurately change the alignment and position of the mandibular study cast relative to the temporomandibular joints and maxillary study cast.
These factors make this instrument invaluable to dental practitioners who treat orthodontic cases, TM joint dysfunction, or provides fixed and removable prosthetics in their practices.
The name AccuLiner refers to both an instrument and a system that can be used to precisely align and analyze study casts, fixed and removable dental prostheses and restorations with reference to craniofacial reference points and the three reference planes of the skull. The idea for and eventual manufacture of the instrument came from a desire to precisely analyze and realign, replace, or restore the dentition, and the realization that clinical dentistry had no instrumentation that could be used to biometrically analyze the size, shape, alignment, and position of the oral-cranial-facial-cervical-dental segment and cranial-facial-mandibular-dental-cervical platform.
The AccuLiner is not an arcon articulator. It’s classified as a Class II articulator – an instrument that permits horizontal as well as vertical motion of the mandibular cast but doesn’t orient the motion to the temporomandibular joints. However, the AccuLiner goes beyond any previous Class II articulator in that it’s capable of closely simulating individual movements of the TM joints: the vertical, horizontal, and lateral components of translation and rotation. The AccuLiner doesn’t require any condylar elements due to the fact that border movements of the mandible don’t occur during function. Research has shown that the primary criterion for successful orthodontics, restorations, and fixed and removable prosthetics is the precise construction of the plane of occlusion and intercuspation of the teeth at a physiologic mandibular intercuspal position.
Study Cast Analysis
I am well aware that for many years analyzing dental study casts using some type of hinge-axis articulator has been the standard of care. However, due to a large number of general dentists and specialists who are treating patients who have disorders such as TM joint dysfunction, head neck, and face pain, obstructive sleep apnea, airway restriction, malocclusion, and maxillary and mandibular malformation and misalignment that method has become inadequate. The reason is that the cause of most of these disorders is malformation, deformation, distortion and/or malalignment of the oral-facial cranial bones, especially the maxillary complex and mandible. Therefore, to effectively and successfully treat these disorders, their structural condition needs to be determined and analyzed in addition to their dentition.
The purpose is to determine the degree of normality of the dimensions, alignment, and position of the maxillary complex and mandible and the configuration, arrangement, and alignment of the maxillary and mandibular teeth and to determine when their condition is compatible with the function of the oral craniofacial-cervical muscles and nerves, and the temporomandibular joints.