Occlusion

• Contact relationship of the upper and lower teeth during various

activities of the mandible (mastication, swallowing and speech) .
Centric Occlusion
• The relation of the upper and lower teeth when they are in maximum
intercuspation during swallowing and the terminal position of the
masticatory stroke.
• Is a position of mandible in which the condyles are resting in the
most retrusive unstrained position in glenoid fossa and related
anteriorly to distal slope of the articular eminence.
Why we study the occlusion?

•The study of occlusion he lps in the treatment of malocclusion,

•Temporomandibular Joint problems,
•in proper construction of dentures and other dental restorations (e.g.,
crown and bridge, etc…).
To study the occlusion it must be include the following items:

1. Dental arch formation.

2. Compensatory curves of dental arch es.
3. Compensatory curves of individual teeth.
4. Angulations of individual teeth in relation to various planes.
5. Functional form of the teeth at their incisal and occlusal thirds.
5. Facial relation of each tooth in one arch to its antagonist in centric
occlusion.
7. Occlusal contact and intercuspation of all teeth of one arch with those in
the opposing arch in centric occlusion.

8. Occlusal contact and interaction of all teeth during various functional

movements.
 Dental Arch Information
Overbite: vertical relation of the upper
•Teeth to the lower teeth in centric occlusion (increase efficiency
of ant. teeth in biting)
• Over jet: horizontal relation of the upper teeth to the lower teeth in
centric occlusion
Importance:
•Prevent soft tissue biting
•Guide the mandible through
various lateral movement
• Overbite enables the disclusion/separation of posterior teeth during
food incision and increases the efficiency of anterior teeth in biting
well.

• Overjet increases duration of occlusal contact in protrusive and lateral

movements in incising and mastication.
❖From occlusal aspect the outline following labial and lingual
surfaces confirmed to a parabolic curves.

•The dental arches have three segments:

1.Anterior segment : semicircular line passing along facial surfaces of

anterior teeth.
2. Middle segment : straight line
continuous with semicircular segment,
include 1st, 2nd, Mesial half of 1st molar.

3. Posterior segment : straight line which

is parallel to the median plane including
distobuccal half of 1st molar, Buccal of 2nd
and 3rd molar.
 Phases of Development in Dental Arches
1st phase :
6 years
1st permanent molar take place posterior to 2nd
deciduous molar.
Due to jaw growth Lead to :
1- increase chewing efficiency
2- Serve to back up the deciduous teeth
Mandibular one erupt firstly and maxillary one erupt to an established
occlusion.
1st Permanent Molar - Corner Stone
2nd Phase :
Central and lateral lingual to the
deciduous predecessors.
3rd Phase :
•1st and 2nd premolar take place of
deciduous molar.
•Primate space the size of premolars are
smaller than the larger teeth they replace.
(Leeway space)
4th Phase :
•The canines ( Keystones) and
2 nd molars emerge. The forcing
of the canine bet.
•Incisors & 1 st premolars in
both jaw with backing effect
of 2 nd molar
5th Phase :
3rd molar distal to the 2nd molar.
Leeway Space
• The erupting premolars are smaller in mesiodistal dimension than the
primary molars.
•The difference in sizes between the premolars and primary molars
as well as the deciduous canines is called “Leeway space’.
•The average mesiodistal size of the deciduous molars in that area is
47mm, which when compared with the premolars dimension of 42.2
mm, indicates an average gain of 4.8 mm in available space.

•The leeway space must be utilized for alignment of the lower incisors
as these teeth erupt with an average of 1.6 mm of crowding. The
remainder of the space will be utilized by the mandibular molar.
• This movement of the mandibular molars may correct an end to end
molar relationship (normal for the mixed dentition) into a normal
molar relationship in the permanent dentition, i.e., the mesiolingual
cusp of the maxillary first molar occludes in the central fossa of the
mandibular molar.
Curve of Spee
• Sagittal planes.

• Incisal Ridges of the anterior teeth and the Buccal cuspts of the
posterior teeth follow a curve which end at the anterior surface of the
condyle.

•When the arches were observed from a point opposite 1st molar.
Curve of Wilson
• Coronal plane.

• The occlusal surfaces of posterior teeth conform to a curved plane.

•The crowns of mandibular posterior teeth must incline to the lingual

while the crowns of maxillary posterior teeth must incline toward the
buccal.
 Curve of Monsoon
• Combination of curve of Spee and the curve of Wilson.

• Coronal and sagittal planes.

• Concave for the mandibular arch and convex for the maxillary arch.
Bonwill Triangle
•Describe the mandible and found that the mandibular dental arch
adapts itself to an equilateral triangle of 4 inches length.

•Apex at the mesial contact area of the lower central

incisors

•Angles of the base at the centers of each condyle

Importance of Compensatory curves:

•Guidance for the mandible movement to complement the path of

condyles for balance of the mandible.
Compensatory curve of individual teeth

❖long axis of post. Teeth are not perpendicular To a horizontal plane

but show axial curvature
•When dissected human jaw was observed with their roots exposed
prove that the long axis of posterior teeth are not perpendicular to a
horizontal plane but show axial curvature.
•This curvature is essential for stability of teeth in the dental arches
to resist forces.
The maxillary 2 nd & 3rd molars have distal inclination to prevent any
distal drift of posterior teeth while mandibular 2nd & 3rd molar are
inclined mesially to strike the maxillary molars with a mesial
direction of force
Keys of Occlusion
• ANGLE’S CLASSIFICATION.Angle was a dentist who
developed a classification of normal and abnormal ways teeth
meet into centric occlusion.
Angle came up with three classes, Class I, II and III
•1-Class I patient' s profile is characterized as normal.

•2-Class II patient' s profi le is deficient in chin length and

characterized as a retruded (retrognathic) profile.
3-Class III patient' s profi le is
excessive in chin length and
characterized as protruded
(prognathic) profile.
Class I

Class II

Class III
Centric Occlusion relation of Deciduous teeth
• At age 3 years, the child has centric
occlusion similar to permanent
teeth
The Occlusal Contact and Intercusp Relations of all the Teeth
During the Various Functional mandibular movements.

•Mandibular movements are: (rotating movement )

•A.Symmetrical bilateral movements:

•Depression.
•Elevation.
•Protrusion.
•Retrusion.
B.Asymmetrical bilateral
movements:
•Right lateral movements.
•Left lateral movements.
Rest Position of Mandible

•When the mandible is at rest, lower teeth are not in contact with the
upper teeth as there is a space of 2 mm in-between the two arches -
freeway space .

•Not a functional relation.

Functional relation of mandibular movements

1.Protrusive occlusal relation.

2.Retrusive occlusal relation.
3.Right occlusal relation.
4.Left occlusal relation
1.Protrusive occlusal relation.
• The mandibular arch bears a forward
anterior relation to its, centric relation
with the maxillary arch.

• Biting or shearing food material.

2. Retrusion of the mandible
•the mandibular teeth will have
posterior relation to centric
occlusion with the maxillary arch.

•Very limited and non

functional movement.
Right and left lateral occlusion relation
• The mandibular dental arch is placed in a right or left lateral relation
to centric occlusion with the maxillary arch.
The masticatory cycle of posterior teeth:

•The working side show s the buccal cusps of maxillary and mandibular teeth
to be in contact.

•The balancing side shows contact of lingual cusps of the maxillary teeth
with the buccal cusps of mandibular teeth.

•Then both sides move to centric occlusion.

Working s ide B alancin
g
The masticatory cycle of anterior teeth:

• In bitting

•the functioning side is located at the anterior teeth

• the balancing side at the posterior teeth.

When the two jaw are not in occlusion, there is a space of 2mm (freeway
space) inbetween the two arches called Rest position
1 Protrusive occlusal relation:
Mandible arch bear a forward relation to its centric relation with maxillary
arch. (biting or sheering food material)
2 Retrusive occlusal relation:
Mandible will have posterior relation to centric occlusion with upper arch.
(limited and non functional movement)