Page 25 - Amazing Smiles

Dark Tunnels Factors that Determine How Your Smile Looks

figure 16 In others, the arch may be tapered or
Protrusive narrow creating huge triangular shadows. This
Intrusive creates a situation where little if any posterior
figure 17 teeth can be seen when this person smiles. The
triangular shadows give the illusion of huge dark
tunnels when that person smiles. (figure 16). This
can be altered by changing the arch form and
width.

As we focus on the anterior teeth we see
interesting tooth relationships between the upper
arch and lower teeth.

When we examine the maxillary front teeth
we notice that they can be in a normal relation-
ship to the lower teeth, protrusive (too far for-
ward) or intrusive (slanted in). (figure 17)

Teeth overlap is generally referred to as
overbite. To be technically correct, specific names
are used when referring to overbite variations.
When looking at a person’s smile from the side,
the protrusion beyond the edges of the mandibu-
lar incisors on horizontal plane is called the over
jet. The amount that the maxillary incisors hang
vertically down over the mandibular incisors is
called the overbite. (figure 18)

These terms are often confusing. You can
have an overjet with or without an overbite. Or
your can have a deep overbite with great or little
overjet.

17