Malocclusion assessment
Describe skeletal, dental and soft-tissue relationships, crowding, overjet, overbite and crossbite systematically.
Understand
Describe sagittal, vertical and transverse relationships separately, then tooth position, crowding, overjet, overbite and soft-tissue balance. Malocclusion can be dental, skeletal or both.
Assess
Examine the patient from the front and profile, then in centric occlusion and movement. Look for functional shifts and trauma risk as well as aesthetic concern.
Apply
A complete diagnosis directs whether treatment is interceptive, camouflage or more complex. Do not plan from one isolated measurement such as overjet alone.
Key distinctions
Describe the malocclusion in three planes: sagittal relationship, vertical overlap and transverse width. Add dental crowding or spacing, soft-tissue profile and any functional shift. A unilateral posterior crossbite in habitual occlusion may arise from a constricted arch and mandibular displacement; the latter can be missed unless the patient is guided gently into a different closure.
Think through a case
A crossbite disappears when the mandible is guided to a different position. The functional shift may make early intervention more valuable than the apparent tooth alignment alone.
The distinction to remember
Do not describe only an Angle class; record transverse, vertical and soft-tissue findings.
Test your recall
What is the difference between overjet and overbite?
Show answer
Overjet is horizontal incisor relationship; overbite is vertical overlap.