What is overbite?

What is overbite?

• A. Maxillary incisors extend below mandibular incisors
• B. Maxillary incisors extend above mandibular incisors
• C. Mandibular incisors extend below maxillary incisors
• D. Maxillary teeth align with mandibular teeth

Answer: (A)

Overbite is the vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the lower front teeth when the jaws are closed. In a typical bite, the maxillary incisors sit in front of and cover a portion of the mandibular incisors. The description that the maxillary incisors extend above the mandibular incisors captures this vertical overlap. Saying the upper incisors extend below the lower incisors would describe the opposite relationship (a reverse bite), not overbite. The idea that the teeth align with each other would imply little to no vertical overlap, which is not what overbite means.

Overbite is the vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the lower front teeth when the jaws are closed. In a typical bite, the maxillary incisors sit in front of and cover a portion of the mandibular incisors. The description that the maxillary incisors extend above the mandibular incisors captures this vertical overlap. Saying the upper incisors extend below the lower incisors would describe the opposite relationship (a reverse bite), not overbite. The idea that the teeth align with each other would imply little to no vertical overlap, which is not what overbite means.