Underbite, or is it open bite? Teeth that overlap, or don't. How to tell?
If you have teeth that don’t meet each other at the front, and you wonder what you should call it properly to your dentist , this is for you. The normal relationship Normally, teeth are designed to meet each other as previously described . This relationship is what is known as a positive overlap of teeth, and dentists know it by its stage name - overbite. Its when the tip of the bottom front tooth strikes the back of the upper front tooth. Under this configuration, the teeth are said to be in contact and further, are able to incise (hence the technical name of the respective tooth - incisor ) or bite food off. Is it an overlap, or do they touch? Sometimes, teeth can struggle to reach their proper position and touch each other, for example, when a physical obstruction prevents them from doing so , or if adenoids or other systemic diseases exist. When this occurs, we ask our patients to report if the teeth could in fact touch each other on closing on the back teeth. With the ...