open bite

bite (bīt)

1. seizure with the teeth.

2. a wound or puncture made by a living organism.

3. an impression made by closure of the teeth upon some plastic material, e.g., wax.

4. occlusion (2).

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closed bite  malocclusion in which the incisal edges of the mandibular anterior teeth protrude past those of the maxillary teeth.

cross bite  crossbite.

edge-to-edge bite , end-to-end bite occlusion in which the incisors of both jaws are closed.

open bite  occlusion in which certain opposing teeth fail to come together when the jaws are closed; usually confined to anterior teeth.

over bite  overbite.

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open bite

n.

See apertognathia.

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open bite,

an abnormal dental condition in which the anterior teeth in the maxilla do not occlude those in the mandible in any mandibular position. Compare closed bite.

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open bite,

n a malformation in which the anterior teeth do not occlude in any mandibular position.

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bite

1. seizure with the teeth.

2. a wound or puncture made by a living organism.

3. the position of upper and lower teeth in relation to each other when the mouth is closed. See also biting.

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animal bite

trauma caused by teeth and usually heavily contaminated with microorganisms. In countries where rabies is present the additional consideration is to ensure that the biter is not rabid, or if there is uncertainty to decide on whether postbite treatment or vaccination would be desirable. See also cat-bite abscess, cat-scratch disease, fighting.

dog bite

see animal bite (above).

insect bite

depending on the nature of the insect and the site, the tissue response may be minimal to extensive, particularly when a hypersensitivity reaction is involved. Pruritus is also variable.

open bite

upper and lower incisors fail to meet when the mouth is closed.

overshot bite

see brachygnathia.

pincer bite

upper and lower incisors make contact on their edges rather than overlapping when the mouth is closed.

reverse scissor bite

the labial surface of the lower incisors makes contact with the lingual surface of the upper incisors when the mouth is closed. Called also anterior crossbite.

scissor bite

the lingual surface of the upper incisors contacts the labial surface of the lower incisors when the mouth is closed. Generally, a normal bite in carnivores.

bite wound

it is often necessary to diagnose that a wound has in fact been caused by a bite. This may be aided by observation of typical puncture wounds, perhaps with extravasations of blood in the subcutaneous tissues, by parallel rake marks, by a matching pair of wounds made by the upper and lower jaws of the biter.