Deviations from ideal occlusion are known as
malocclusion
. The type of deviation is variable, but any type of misalignment can cause problems. It is necessary to align the upper teeth to avoid lip and cheek bites, while it is important to align the lower teeth to protect the tongue from bites.
There are three main classes of malocclusion:
- class 1
is the most common of the three, where the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth.
- class 2
this condition, known as retrognathia, causes the upper teeth and jaw to overlap significantly with the lower teeth and jaw.
- class 3
is also known as prognathism and occurs when the lower jaw protrudes forward. This causes the lower teeth to overlap with the upper teeth and jaw.
