THE GOLDEN DIVIDER

The golden divider may be used for morphologic analysis of the teeth, skeleton and soft tissues of the face. It is based on the "Golden Section" also called "Divine Proportion". Upon widening the divider, it will be noted that a short side and a longer side will be measured off proportionally as the divider is extended. The longer side is 1.618 times of the shorter side and vice-versa. In turn, the longer side is 0.618 the length of the total outer measurement. The golden relation (1:1.618) is called Phi (Greek symbol f). This relation is based on laws of mathematics.

The use of this instrument applies to esthetic values, i.e. beautiful to the human eye or comforting and pleasing to the human psyche follow these proportions. But, of greater significance are the biologic implications, as many things in nature follow the principle in proportionality of the golden section, the golden triangle and the golden rectangle. The proportion is linked to growth and to the optimal function. Hence, it can be used for analysis of structural harmony and balance, and also for treatment planning of the tooth, bone, and soft tissue relationships for all forms of dentistry, maxillofacial and plastic surgery.