malocclusion
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of malocclusion
Explanation
If your dentist tells you that you've got a malocclusion, she means that your top and bottom teeth don't fit together quite the way they should. Edward Angle, the American dentist known as the "father of orthodontics" popularized the word malocclusion around 1864, using it to describe a misaligned bite. A malocclusion is one of the reasons people get braces, with the goal of bringing the upper and lower teeth into alignment. The word is formed by adding the prefix mal-, or "bad," to occlusion, "position of the teeth when the mouth is closed," and its root meaning "to close."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Squirt had a wonky jaw — a malocclusion, possibly from the fall — and Brian had to clip his teeth every week or so.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 8, 2023
In the Mews’ eyes, the failure to identify the causes of relapse proves that orthodontists fundamentally do not understand the nature of malocclusion.
From New York Times ● Aug. 20, 2020
In 2007 and again in 2018, he challenged the American Association of Orthodontists about specific claims on its website: namely, that malocclusion can cause loss of teeth, speech impediment, and poor nutrition.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2020
"In addition, children who are breast-fed are less likely to use a pacifier, which is considered a risk factor for malocclusion."
From US News ● Jun. 15, 2015
Moreover, thanks to the malocclusion of the Clooney jaw, her voice carries just a hint of a lisp.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
