Development of occlusion.

A. Occlusion  usually means the contact relationship in function. Concepts of occlusion vary with almost every specialty of dentistry.

Centric occlusion is the maximum contact and/or intercuspation of the teeth.

B. Occlusion is the sum total of many factors.

1. Genetic factors.

-Teeth can vary in size. Examples are microdontia (very small teeth) and macrodontia (very large teeth). Incidentally, Australian aborigines have the largest molar tooth size—some 35% larger than the smallest molar tooth group

-The shape of individual teeth can vary (such as third molars and the upper lateral incisors.)

-They can vary when and where they erupt, or they may not erupt at all (impaction).

-Teeth can be congenitally missing (partial or complete anodontia), or there can be extra (supernumerary) teeth.

-The skeletal support (maxilla/mandible) and how they are related to each other can vary considerably from the norm.

2. Environmental factors.

-Habits can have an affect: wear, thumbsucking, pipestem or cigarette holder usage, orthodontic appliances, orthodontic retainers have an influence on the occlusion.

3.Muscular pressure.

-Once the teeth erupt into the oral cavity, the position of teeth is affected by other teeth, both in the same dental arch and by teeth in the opposing dental arch.

-Teeth are affected by muscular pressure on the facial side (by cheeks/lips) and on the lingual side (by the tongue).

C. Occlusion constantly changes with development, maturity, and aging.

1 . There is change with the eruption and shedding of teeth as the successional changes from deciduous to permanent dentitions take place.

2. Tooth wear is significant over a lifetime. Abrasion, the wearing away of the occlusal surface reduces crown height and alters occlusal anatomy.

Attrition of the proximal surfaces reduces the mesial-distal dimensions of the teeth and significantly reduces arch length over a lifetime.

Abraision is the wear of teeth by agencies other than the friction of one tooth against another.

Attrition is the wear of teeth by one tooth rubbing against another

3. Tooth loss leaves one or more teeth without an antagonist. Also, teeth drift, tip, and rotate when other teeth in the arch are extracted.

AGE CHANGES

Progressive apical migration of the dentogingival junction.
Toothbrush abrasion of the area can expose dentin that can cause root caries and tooth mobility.

Histology of the alveolar bone

Near the end of the 2nd month of fetal life, mandible and maxilla form a groove that is opened toward the surface of the oral cavity.
As tooth germs start to develop, bony septa form gradually. The alveolar process starts developing strictly during tooth eruption.

The alveolar process is the bone that contains the sockets (alveoli) for the teeth and consists of

a) outer cortical plates
b) a central spongiosa and
c) bone lining the alveolus (bundle bone)

The alveolar crest is found 1.5-2.0 mm below the level of the CEJ.
If you draw a line connecting the CE junctions of adjacent teeth, this line should be parallel to the alveolar crest. If the line is not parallel, then there is high probability of periodontal disease.

Bundle Bone

The bundle bone provides attachment to the periodontal ligament fibers. It is perforated by many foramina that transmit nerves and vessels (cribiform plate). Embedded within the bone are the extrinsic fiber bundles of the PDL mineralized only at the periphery. Radiographically, the bundle bone is the lamina dura. The lining of the alveolus is fairly smooth in the young but rougher in the adults.

Clinical considerations

Resorption and regeneration of alveolar bone
This process can occur during orthodontic movement of teeth. Bone is resorbed on the side of pressure and opposed on the site of tension.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis of the alveolar process can be caused by inactivity of tooth that does not have an antagonist

MORPHOLOGY OF THE DECIDUOUS TEETH

Deciduous Anterior Teeth.

 -The primary anteriors are morphologically similar to the permanent anteriors.

-The incisors are relatively simple in their morphology.

-The roots are long and narrow.

-When compared to the permanent incisors, the mesiodistal dimension is relatively larger when compared to axial crown length

-At the time of eruption, mamelons are not present in deciduous incisors

-They are narrower mesiodistally than their permanent successors.

Dentinogenesis

Dentin formation, known as dentinogenesis, is the first identifiable feature in the crown stage of tooth development. The formation of dentin must always occur before the formation of enamel. The different stages of dentin formation result in different types of dentin: mantle dentin, primary dentin, secondary dentin, and tertiary dentin.

Odontoblasts, the dentin-forming cells, differentiate from cells of the dental papilla. They begin secreting an organic matrix around the area directly adjacent to the inner enamel epithelium, closest to the area of the future cusp of a tooth. The organic matrix contains collagen fibers with large diameters (0.1-0.2 μm in diameter). The odontoblasts begin to move toward the center of the tooth, forming an extension called the odontoblast process. Thus, dentin formation proceeds toward the inside of the tooth. The odontoblast process causes the secretion of hydroxyapatite crystals and mineralization of the matrix. This area of mineralization is known as mantle dentin and is a layer usually about 150 μm thick.

Whereas mantle dentin forms from the preexisting ground substance of the dental papilla, primary dentin forms through a different process. Odontoblasts increase in size, eliminating the availability of any extracellular resources to contribute to an organic matrix for mineralization. Additionally, the larger odontoblasts cause collagen to be secreted in smaller amounts, which results in more tightly arranged, heterogenous nucleation that is used for mineralization. Other materials (such as lipids, phosphoproteins, and phospholipids) are also secreted.

Secondary dentin is formed after root formation is finished and occurs at a much slower rate. It is not formed at a uniform rate along the tooth, but instead forms faster along sections closer to the crown of a tooth. This development continues throughout life and accounts for the smaller areas of pulp found in older individuals. Tertiary dentin, also known as reparative dentin, forms in reaction to stimuli, such as attrition or dental caries.

The dentin in the root of a tooth forms only after the presence of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS), near the cervical loop of the enamel organ. Root dentin is considered different than dentin found in the crown of the tooth (known as coronal dentin) because of the different orientation of collagen fibers, the decrease of phosphoryn levels, and the less amount of mineralization.