The History of Articulators: From Facebows to the Gnathograph, a Brief History of Early Devices Developed for Recording Condylar Movement: Part I

Edgar N. Starcke, DDS

WILLIAM G.A. BONWILL described the forward movement of the condyles when he introduced his concept of occlusion and his articulator to the profession in 1864. However, because he placed little importance on the influence of the condyles on articulation of the teeth, he made no attempt to determine the character of the condylar
paths.

On June 4, 1866, Francis H. Balkwill made an historic presentation to the Odontological Society of Great Britain.2 His descriptions of maxillomandibular movement and relationships were extraordinarily accurate and detailed, even by today’s standards. It is noteworthy that Balkwill believed that it was impractical to measure the angle of the condylar inclination in the living subject. However, he introduced an instrument for measuring “the angle formed between the plane of two lines drawn from the articulating surfaces of the condyles to the [incisor point] and the [occlusal plane] which is near enough to use.” He estimated this angle, now known as “Balkwill’s Angle,” to be an average of 26 degrees. Balkwill also revealed that he had constructed a “bite frame,” by means of which (using the angle and measurements) “the lower model can be placed in the same position relative to the center
of the hinge.

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