The bite position provides information about the sagittal positional relationship between the lower jaw and the upper jaw. In a neutral bite position, both jaws are in the correct relation to each other.
What is the bite position?
Bite position is a positional designation that provides information about how the two jaw bones relate to each other. The human jaw consists of an upper jaw (maxilla) and a lower jaw (mandible). The jaws are part of the skull. The mandible is a U-shaped bone attached to the temporal bone by the temporomandibular joint. Part of the masticatory muscles attach to the front part of the mandible bone. The mandibular bone is movable through the temporomandibular joint. The maxillary bone is the largest bone of the midface. Partially, the maxillary bone is hollow. The cavities within the bone are part of the sinuses and are called maxillary sinuses. Unlike the lower jaw, the upper jaw is immobile. The teeth are anchored in the tooth compartments of the jaw bones. The bite is the interlocking of the teeth of the upper and lower jaw. The bite position, in turn, is a positional designation that provides information about how the two jaw bones are positioned in relation to each other. The physiological bite is called the neutral bite or the standard bite. The lower jaw and upper jaw are in a normal positional relationship to each other as well as to the skull as a whole.
Function and task
A normal bite position is a prerequisite for physiological mastication. Chewing requires optimal coordination between the jawbone, masticatory muscles, teeth and temporomandibular joints. The chewing function is reflexive. The movements necessary for chewing are carried out by the lower jaw alone. Rapid fine-tuning is constantly performed by the jaw muscles. In a normal bite position, the teeth only have contact with each other when chewing, biting and swallowing. Due to the high pressure load during chewing, it is important that the teeth are loaded vertically. The teeth are suspended from collagen fibers in the dental compartments of the jaw bones. The pressure that acts on the tooth during chewing is converted into a tensile load on the bone. Thus, in an optimal bite position, chewing stimulates bone formation in the jaw bones. Conversely, the lack of pressure in a malocclusion can lead to bone loss. A physiological bite position enables people to effectively grind the food they eat and thus optimally prepare it for digestion. However, the teeth are not only chewing tools, but also speech tools that are involved in the formation of sounds. A normal bite enables speech without hissing, whistling or lisping. In addition, the dental and jaw apparatus also fulfills a social function. Healthy and straight teeth as well as a straight jaw position are perceived as beautiful and desirable and are considered a social figurehead. Often, the condition and position of the teeth is also associated with a corresponding social status.
Diseases and complaints
If the upper and lower jaws are in a pathological positional relationship, this is referred to as a malocclusion or incorrect bite position. If the lower jaw is displaced backward, a distal bite occurs. The distal bite is also called mandibular recession. Viewed from the front, the lower dental arch then lies behind the upper dental arch. The distal bite is also known as frontal overbite or scissor bite. In common parlance, it is referred to as buck teeth or a receding chin. The opposite of the distal bite is the so-called mesial bite. Here, the upper incisors protrude, creating a frontal overbite. Lower incisors that bite in front of the upper incisors form an anterior bite. Tooth malocclusions are classified into angle classes. Distal bites belong to class II, mesial bites to class III. The causes of tooth and jaw malocclusions are various. Often the anomalies are inherited, for example in connection with a cleft lip and palate. Hormonal causes are also conceivable. For example, acromegaly can result in a change in the position of the bite. In acromegaly, the growth hormone somatotropin is increasingly produced. Among other things, there is bony growth in the chin area. Tooth malocclusions can also be acquired. Constant finger sucking or the pacifier in infancy as well as malfunctions during the swallowing process can lead to an altered bite position.Infectious diseases or a chronic vitamin deficiency are also conceivable causes of a pathological bite. Even minor misalignments of the jaw bones can cause considerable impairments. The incorrect positional relationship results in incorrect loading of the teeth, the jaw bones and the masticatory muscles. Great forces are generated during chewing. The chewing pressure in humans is 20-30Kp/cm² during food crushing. In a normal bite position, the pressure is evenly distributed. In the case of a forward or backward bite, this optimal distribution of pressure is no longer guaranteed. The constant overstressing of certain areas of the jaw can lead to a lockjaw. In this case, the mouth can no longer be fully opened. A lockjaw as a result of an incorrect bite position is also conceivable. Lockjaw prevents the mouth from closing. Facial pain, headaches and back pain can be caused by jaw malposition. Due to the malfunction of the jaw, the chewing and facial muscles become tense. The neck muscles become tense as well. It is not uncommon for the cause of a migraine to be in the jaw area. The uneven distribution of pressure also affects the teeth. Teeth may die prematurely or fall out. Perhaps the pathological bite position even manifests itself in digestive problems. If biting and chewing is not possible due to the malocclusion, the food is not sufficiently crushed. This can lead to problems in the gastrointestinal tract. If the mouth cannot be closed properly due to the malocclusion, breathing usually takes place through the mouth. Dry mucous membranes and an increased susceptibility to infections are the result. Depending on the bite position, speech disorders may also occur.
