This document provides guidance on arranging anterior teeth. It discusses landmarks for tooth arrangement, positioning maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth, horizontal and vertical overlap, and incisal guidance. The maxillary central incisors should be positioned with a slight mesial inclination and depressed cervical aspect. The lateral incisors are placed slightly above the occlusal plane. The mandibular anterior teeth are set with the central incisors perpendicular and laterals with slight mesial inclination. Horizontal overlap should be consistent at about 2mm, while vertical overlap is 0.5-1mm. Incisal guidance refers to the influence of anterior tooth contacts on jaw movements.

2. ARRANGEMENT OF
ANTERIOR TEETH

3. Learning outcomes
1. Explain individual anterior tooth
arrangement.
2. Compare horizontal and vertical
overlap.
3. Define what is incisal guidance.

4. Cast Landmarks
Mark the casts indicating midline, crest of the ridge,
and the midpoint of the retromolar pad. These
landmarks will be used to check your arrangement.
maxilla mandible
Incisive
papilla
midline
Anterior
land area
Ridge
crest
Retromolar
pad

5. Anterior
land area
Midline
Incisive
papilla

6. Lines indicating the crest
of the ridge
Midpoint of retromolar
pad
Mark on land indicating the
midpoint of the retromolar pad
Land

8. Materials and Armamentarium

9. Arranging the Maxillary
Anterior Teeth

10. The mesial of each tooth should be on the
midline (arrow) and the incisal edge should
be parallel to and in contact with the occlusal
plane.
Central incisors

11. Viewed from the facial aspect, the
maxillary central incisor is placed so that
the long axis shows a slight mesial
inclination to the perpendicular.
Central incisors

12. When viewed from
profile the cervical
aspect of the tooth
should be slightly
depressed. Note that
the incisal 2/3 of the
central incisors are
perpendicular to the
plane of occlusion
Inner edge of the land
Occlusal plane
Central incisors

13. The maxillary lateral incisor should be
positioned with a slight mesial inclination and
is usually ½ to 1 mm above the plane of
occlusion.
Lateral incisors

14. When viewed in profile
note that the lateral
incisor is positioned
with a slight mesial
inclination in
relationship with the
central incisor.
Note again that the
lateral incisor is
positioned slightly above
the plane of occlusion.
Lateral incisors

15. When viewed from the occlusal, the incisors
follow the curvature of the internal aspect of
the land.
Lateral incisors

16. When viewed in profile the cuspid has a
slight mesial inclination from the
perpendicular and the incisal tip touches
the occlusal plane (arrow).
Cuspids

17. “Toed-in” Position
Note how the cervical and incisal edges of the
cuspid are aligned vertically (yellow line). The
facial surface of the cuspid however, is canted
inward and appears “toed in” (red line) due to the
prominence of the cervical area of the tooth
(yellow arrow).
Cuspids

18. The cuspid has two planes
on the labial surface – a
mesial plane (yellow line)
and a distal plane (red
line). When viewed from
the anterior only the
mesial plane should be
visible.
Cuspids

19. When viewed from the
occlusal the anterior
teeth follow the
curvature of the internal
portion of the land.

20. Note the inclinations of the anterior teeth.

21. Incisive papilla as a
biometric guide:
The relation of Central
incisor is 8-10 mm
anterior to the incisive
papilla
The relation of
canine is
perpendicular to the
incisive papilla in
the sagital plane

23. Axial Inclination of Maxillary Anteriors
in the “Basic” Arrangement.

24. Arranging the Mandibular
Anterior Teeth

25. Horizontal overlap /Overjet: the
projection of teeth beyond their
antagonists in the horizontal plane.

26. Vertical overlap/Overbite: the distance
teeth lap over their antagonists as
measured vertically.

27. The purpose of horizontal and vertical
overlap are for the purpose of
esthetics, phonetics and function of
balance in protrusion.

28. Vertical overlap 0.5-1
mm
Horizontal overlap 2 mm

29. The mandibular central incisors are set with the
long axis perpendicular to the occlusal plane with
the neck depressed. The mandibular lateral
incisors are set with a slight mesial inclination.

30. Axial Alignment of MandibularAxial Alignment of Mandibular
Anterior Denture TeethAnterior Denture Teeth
A. Facial View.A. Facial View.
B. Proximal View.B. Proximal View.
B
A

31. The mandibular canines have more
mesial inclination than the lateral
incisors and the neck is set
prominently.

32. The cuspid is slightly
inclined to the
mesial.

33. The horizontal overlap should be consistent
throughout the anterior region. At this stage
it should be about 2 mm.

34. Incisal Guidance
1: the influence of the contacting
surfaces of the mandibular and
maxillary anterior teeth on mandibular
movements.

38. Incisal Guidance
2: the influences of the contacting
surfaces of the guide pin and guide
table on articulator movements

40. In denture construction, the mandibular
incisors should never touch the maxillary
incisors in centric occlusion and the
incisal guide angle should be kept as low
as possible to enhance free movement of
the teeth in protrusive and lateral
excursions.

41. Questions