Students set the maxillary teeth in two planes. The anteriors are set with an overbite. That means they are set below the plane of occlusion. The posteriors are set occluding with the mandibular posteriors which is on the plane of occlusion. You see the maxillary canine hanging down and the bicuspid is in another level. It creates an esthetic problem, a protrusive problem, and a group function problem.

15. With two planes of occlusion you are likely to have canine guidance.  In addition it looks unesthetic.

Overjet is fine, overbite is not. (However if you have a large overjet then you can have overbite. In this case you can slightly raise the lower incisors above the occlusal plane.)

I like to set cusped maxillary posteriors against flat mandibular posteriors. Students sometimes hang the maxillary buccal cusps over the mandibular buccal cusps creating excursive problems. Keep the maxillary buccal cusps on or above the occlusal plane.

©1999 by Julius Rosen, D.D.S.