What is a face bow record?

For prosthodontists and restorative dentists planning full-arch or complex multi-unit cases, an accurate face bow transfer is the first step toward predictable occlusion. Without it, the articulator mount defaults to an average hinge axis that may be several millimeters off the patient's true axis of rotation. That discrepancy compounds through every wax-up and framework stage, meaning the closer you get to final delivery, the more chair time the error costs.

At Dani Dental, incoming face bow records are logged with the case file and cross-referenced against the bite registration and CBCT data when available. The technician assigned to the case reviews the mounting before any wax-up begins, flagging inconsistencies before they travel downstream. This is part of why the lab holds a remake rate under 2.5 percent on full-arch restorative work: upstream verification catches fit and occlusion problems when correcting them is still a five-minute conversation, not a remade framework.

For general dentists less experienced with semi-adjustable articulators, Dani's team can walk through preferred face bow systems and compatible bite registration materials during case planning. Specific articulator brands the lab works with daily include Denar and Panadent. If a case arrives without a face bow record and the span or complexity warrants one, the technician on the case contacts the referring doctor directly rather than making an assumption and proceeding.