Education that changes clinical practice.

Radek Mounajjed

Occlusion is one of the most fundamental — and most debated — concepts in all of dentistry. Every clinical discipline, from restorative dentistry and prosthodontics to orthodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery, is directly influenced by how the teeth meet, how the mandible moves, and how the masticatory system functions as a whole. Yet occlusion is also one of the most poorly understood topics among dental students and early-career clinicians, largely because the terminology is vast, the concepts are interrelated, and the clinical schools of thought have historically disagreed. This article provides a structured, evidence-based overview of all core occlusal definitions as described in the Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms (GPT), alongside the fundamental principles that govern occlusal analysis and treatment planning. It covers static and dynamic occlusion, jaw positions, occlusal schemes, mandibular movements, and the clinical relevance of each concept. Definitions are presented in plain language with clinical context so that students and new dentists can immediately connect terminology to practice. By the end of this article, the reader will understand what the key occlusal terms mean, how they relate to one another, why occlusion matters in everyday clinical work, and how to apply these principles when examining patients, planning restorations, and communicating with colleagues and specialists.