2

Development of the dentition

INTRODUCTION
Occlusion, in the context of dentistry, has been
simply defined as the contacts between teeth
albeit between the opposing arches.1 The arrangement of the contacts between the upper and
lower dentition when the teeth are in a position
of maximal intercuspation is described as the
static occlusion, and the pattern of the contacts
that guide the movement of the mandible away
from this position of maximal intercuspation is
termed the dynamic occlusion.
Static occlusion can be described and classified through the assessment of incisor and
molar relationships (Figures 2.1, 2.2) and the
widely accepted static occlusal goals of orthodontic treatment are the six keys to occlusion
described by Lawrence Andrews (Box 2.1).2
Dynamic occlusion can be assessed clinically
through the careful observation of the pattern
of tooth contacts when the mandible is raised
into centric occlusion and is then protruded
anteriorly or moved laterally.
Normal occlusal development is intrinsically related to the development of the denti-

tion. The chronology of normal dental

development is given in Table 2.1.
Although the teeth and the contacts between
the upper and lower dentition provide a means
of classifying and assessing the static and
dynamic occlusion, a complete assessment of a
patients occlusion requires consideration of
the periodontium, orofacial musculature, the
temporomandibular joints and the underlying
pattern of skeletal growth.

THE STAGES OF OCCLUSAL

DEVELOPMENT
Primary Dentition (2.5 Years
to 6 Years)
Intra-arch Alignment
(Crowding/Spacing/Inclination
of Incisors)
The fully developed primary dentition is
established from the approximate age of 2.5
years. Ideally the arches are spaced, with the

Orthodontics: Principles and Practice, First Edition. Edited by Daljit S. Gill, Farhad B. Naini.
2011 Daljit S. Gill, Farhad B. Naini and Dental Update. Published 2011 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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