Malocclusion Rethought — Occlusal Dysmorphisms
Malocclusion Rethought
From “Malocclusion” to a broader paradigm: Occlusal Dysmorphisms.
Malocclusion Rethought
"Malocclusion" (from Latin malum = bad) traditionally labels an improper “closure” of teeth. Yet modern clinical science shows that function cannot be reduced to mechanics alone. Electrophysiological findings (e.g., symmetry in motor-evoked potentials, jaw-jerk, and silent period) often reveal balanced trigeminal dynamics even in the presence of occlusal discrepancies.
This challenges the conventional label “malocclusion” and supports a broader concept: Occlusal Dysmorphisms. Within a complex-systems view of mastication, neuromuscular coherence can coexist with occlusal asymmetries, urging interdisciplinary diagnostics that integrate occlusion with neurophysiology to achieve stable outcomes and reduce relapses.
Fig. 1a: Open bite and crossbite case (occlusal view).
Fig. 1b: Bilateral MEP symmetry in masseter muscles.
Fig. 1c: Jaw-jerk reflex indicating functional symmetry.
Fig. 1d: Mechanical silent period (balanced neuromuscular dynamics).
📑 References
- Interdisciplinary diagnostics of malocclusions — Smaglyuk et al., 2019
- Anterior open bite review — Reichert et al., 2014
- Early crossbite protocols — Miamoto et al., 2018
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