Fleximount To Stabilize Lower Model

February 18, 2019 Lee Ann Brady DMD

Learning from one another is one of the top benefits of dental continuing education.

One of the things that I value about continuing dental education is the opportunity to spend time with other dentists.  I always learn something I can bring back to my office. Recently while lecturing at Midwestern Dental School to the faculty, on of the faculty members told me about a new way to stabilize lower models when mounting, and was even kind enough to give me some samples.

Stabilizing a lower model during mounting with centric relation records is critical to the accuracy of the mounting.

Over the years I have tried about every idea possible to optimize mounting the lower model. If the model moves in the bite registration due to pressure during mounting, tipping or shrinkage of the stone it interferes with the accuracy of the mounting. To overcome this I have tried hot glue, compound, rubber bands, hanger wire bent into a V and probably many more.

We realized the Fleximount was incredible the first time we used it. Sold by WhipMix and developed for their articulator systems, I will say I have used it on other systems, and as long as there is a knob on the upper member of the articulator it works fantastic. The Fleximount is trapped inside the stone, so they are disposable. The lower model is held with even pressure directly against the upper( if mounting in MIP) or the bite record, therefore no tipping forces are present as with other stabilizer systems. Because it stays in the stone, you can walk away and let it come to a complete set, instead of having to stand and remove the stabilizer while the mounting stone is still somewhat soft. Both of these features result in a very accurate mounting.

Once the stone is set you simply cut away the rubber band material that is not inside the mounting stone. Now you can finish and groom the lower mounting.

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Lee Ann Brady DMD

Dr. Lee Ann Brady is passionate about dentistry, her family and making a difference. She is a general dentist and owns a practice in Glendale, AZ limited to restorative dentistry. Lee’s passion for dental education began as a CE junkie herself, pursuing lots of advanced continuing education focused on Restorative and Occlusion. In 2005, she became a full time resident faculty member for The Pankey Institute, and was promoted to Clinical Director in 2006. Lee joined Spear Education as Executive VP of Education in the fall of 2008 to teach and coordinate the educational curriculum. In June of 2011, she left Spear Education, founded leeannbrady.com and joined the dental practice she now owns as an associate. Today, she teaches at dental meetings and study clubs both nationally and internationally, continues to write for dental journals and her website, sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry, Inside Dentistry and DentalTown Magazines and is the Director of Education for The Pankey Institute.

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Who Captures The Facebow Record?

February 10, 2018 Roger Macias DDS

Do you feel reticent about having someone other than you use the facebow? 

A Spatial Reference Point Story

Recently over the holidays as I was “channel surfing” I came across the movie Apollo 13. This is one of those movies that no matter how many times I have watched it, I just have to stop and watch it one more time. Every time I do, I can’t help but get misty-eyed when it gets to the part when the crew make it back to Earth safely (SPOILER ALERT … But you probably read this in the history books anyway).

For me, there is one super exciting moment in the film when Astronaut James Lovell (aka Tom Hanks) has to find a reference point to correct their descent back to Earth from space or burn up on re-entry. Since he cannot use his on-board computers, he lines up his spaceship with the Earth in his window.

“Keep the Earth in the window!” A spatial reference point! Too much correction and their spaceship burns up on re-entry. Too little and they skip off the Earth’s atmosphere.

Make Your Facebow Process Simpler

In our dental offices, the facebow is used to give us a spatial reference point for mounting diagnostic or working models of our patient’s dentition. This is done onto an articulator that approximates the realities of our patient. Sure, you might be able to mount casts arbitrarily, but is your accuracy reproducible? The facebow is a simple tool in our armamentarium to make our life easier.

The question remains, “Is this a task that the dentist must perform?” In my office when we create exquisite dental mountings, I delegate this task to my awesome dental assistants.  With a little training they can do this immediately and the procedure only takes a few minutes.

This involvement is a great way for them to demonstrate their knowledge. It paves the way for more opportunities to open conversations about the Dentist’s Care, Skill, and Judgement. They become your chairside cheerleader and highlight your expertise. They will also express how a critical bite registration record or protrusive record performed by the dentist will only enhance the outcome of treatment.  

Information gathered through the use of a facebow makes our dentistry more predictable. It distinguishes you and your team as a highly trained dental practice.

Don’t burn up on re-entry or skip off into space. Glide effortlessly into beautiful predictable dentistry by using your facebow. Keep your Earth in the window!

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Roger Macias DDS

Dr. Macias obtained his dental education at the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School at San Antonio and graduated in 1983. While establishing his private practice, Dr. Macias was an assistant professor in the Department of General Practice at the UT Dental School from 1983 until 1989. He is the team dentist for the San Antonio Rampage, the WNBA San Antonio Silver Stars, the San Antonio Missions Baseball Club as well as numerous college universities and high schools in the south Texas area. Dr. Macias is active in numerous dental study clubs and is currently a faculty professor at the world renowned L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education in Key Biscayne, Florida. Among Dr. Macias’s many accolades and awards, he has received his Fellowship in the American and the International College of Dentistry as well as the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

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