Why Does My Bite Matter? Understanding Occlusion, Bite Forces, and Broken Teeth

Why Does My Bite Matter? Understanding Occlusion, Bite Forces, and Broken Teeth

Every time you chew, swallow, or bring your teeth together, forces move through a remarkably complex biological system.

Your teeth are part of that system – but they are not the entire system.

The muscles that move the jaw, the temporomandibular joints that guide its movement, the periodontal tissues supporting the teeth, the position and condition of the teeth themselves, and the nervous system controlling movement all work together every time you bite and chew.

Dentists use the term occlusion to describe the relationship between the upper and lower teeth. The Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms defines the static relationship of the incising or masticating surfaces, while contemporary occlusal literature increasingly emphasizes that clinically meaningful occlusion must be considered within the larger biomechanical environment of the masticatory system. [1][2][3]

At Lagoon Dental, that broader perspective is important.

When we see worn teeth, fractures, repeated restoration failures, missing teeth, or a changing bite, we do not simply ask: “Where do the teeth touch?” We ask: “How is this entire system functioning, where are the forces going, and is anything beginning to break down?”

Occlusion Is More Than Whether Your Teeth “Line Up”

There are two useful ways to think about occlusion.

Static occlusion describes the relationship between the teeth when the jaw is closed and relatively stationary. This includes the position where the upper and lower teeth fit together most completely.

Dynamic occlusion describes what happens as the mandible moves – during chewing, forward movement, and movements from side to side.

That distinction matters because our teeth do not function as stationary objects.

The mandible moves through a complex three-dimensional range under the control of multiple muscle groups and both temporomandibular joints. Tooth contacts occur during portions of those movements, and the direction, location, duration, and magnitude of force can all influence how the system responds.

Biomechanical research also reminds us how difficult this system is to study perfectly. Devices designed to measure bite force can themselves change jaw opening and normal function. That is one reason occlusion remains an area of dentistry where strong opinions have historically exceeded the quality of the evidence available for some claims. [2][3]

That uncertainty is not a reason to ignore occlusion. It is a reason to approach it carefully.

A “Different” Bite Is Not Automatically an Unhealthy Bite

Dentistry uses the term malocclusion when tooth or jaw relationships differ from anatomic norms. These variations can include crowding, crossbite, excessive overjet or overbite, open bite, and Class I, Class II, or Class III jaw and dental relationships.

But this distinction is critical: malocclusion is an anatomical description. It is not automatically a diagnosis of disease.

Human beings show considerable variation in tooth position and jaw relationships. Many people have bites that differ from an orthodontic ideal while remaining comfortable, functional, and stable for decades.

Biomechanical research emphasizes the substantial adaptive capacity of the masticatory system. Changes in occlusion are often well tolerated, and there is no high-quality evidence that one universal occlusal arrangement is optimal for every individual. [2][3]

That is why we do not believe every malocclusion needs to be corrected.

The better question is: Is this particular patient’s occlusal system healthy, comfortable, functional, and stable – or are we seeing evidence that something is beginning to fail?

But Some Malocclusions Do Have Measurable Functional Effects

Saying that not every malocclusion is disease does not mean tooth and jaw relationships are irrelevant.

Research shows that certain types and severities of malocclusion can measurably affect chewing.

A systematic review examining children with malocclusion found that, particularly in mixed and permanent dentitions, affected groups tended to demonstrate lower maximum bite force, altered muscle activity, reduced chewing efficiency, and – in unilateral posterior crossbite – different jaw-movement patterns. Importantly, the authors characterized the evidence as limited and concluded that more high-quality longitudinal research is needed. [8]

The functional differences can become substantial with more significant discrepancies.

In one study of patients with nonsagittal occlusal discrepancies, maximum bite force in groups with posterior crossbite, anterior open bite, or both was approximately 61.5%, 42.1%, and 40.1%, respectively, of the values measured in the normal-occlusion comparison group. Contact area and measures of chewing ability were also reduced. [10]

Those numbers should not be interpreted to mean that every patient with a crossbite has 38.5% less chewing ability or that an open bite automatically requires treatment. They are group-level research findings.

But they reinforce a clinically useful point: the architecture of the bite can influence how effectively forces are generated and distributed during chewing. Severity and type matter.

Bite Force Is More Complicated Than “How Hard Do You Bite?”

There is no single normal bite-force number that applies to everyone.

Maximum bite force varies according to factors such as age, dental status, number and position of teeth, craniofacial anatomy, and other individual characteristics. [21]

And maximum force is only part of the picture.

Imagine two patients capable of generating a similar peak force. One uses that force briefly while chewing. The other clenches repeatedly for long periods. The maximum number may be similar, but the duration and frequency of loading are very different.

The same is true of the direction of force. A tooth may tolerate force directed through its long axis very differently from repeated lateral loading.

This is why comprehensive restorative dentistry is less interested in a single force measurement than in understanding the mechanical environment in which the teeth are functioning.

Force Is Normal. Breakdown Occurs When Demand Exceeds Capacity.

Chewing force is not inherently harmful. Teeth were designed to function.

The clinically important question is whether the structures receiving that force are capable of tolerating it.

Consider the difference between a healthy, intact molar and a molar containing a very large restoration with thin remaining cusps. The same mechanical environment may be tolerated very differently.

Now add repeated clenching, acid-weakened tooth structure, a missing neighboring tooth, a large restoration, unfavorable tooth position, or altered support. The risk changes again.

ADA research on restorative materials illustrates this concept well. Resin composites can develop microcracks from repeated thermal and mechanical stresses, including chewing and clenching forces, which can eventually contribute to bulk fracture. Dental ceramic standards likewise recognize that different ceramic applications require different mechanical properties. [22][23]

This is why our question after a restoration breaks is not simply:

“What stronger material should we replace this with?”

It is also:

“Why did this restoration fail, and what is the replacement going to be asked to withstand?”

Why the Direction of Force Matters

Teeth and restorations do not respond identically to forces from every direction.

The anatomy of the cusps and fossae helps determine how forces are transmitted through the teeth during clenching and chewing. Biomechanical literature suggests that occlusal morphology can influence how loads are distributed and how pressure is concentrated on individual teeth. [5]

This is especially important once dentistry changes the natural anatomy.

A crown, veneer, onlay, bridge, or implant crown becomes part of the patient’s functional system. It cannot be designed only to look beautiful. It has to function within the mechanical environment surrounding it.

Natural Teeth and Dental Implants Do Not Respond to Force in Exactly the Same Way

One of the clearest demonstrations of why biomechanics matter is the difference between natural teeth and dental implants.

A natural tooth is suspended within the bone by the periodontal ligament. That ligament provides physiologic movement and sophisticated sensory feedback about the magnitude and direction of force.

A dental implant is osseointegrated directly with bone and does not have the same periodontal-ligament sensory system.

Research has shown that fine sensory-motor control differs around implants, although patients with implant restorations generally function very effectively. Mechanical modeling also demonstrates that restoration design and load direction influence how stresses are transmitted around implants. [4]

At the same time, the evidence does not justify pretending dentistry has discovered one universally proven “ideal implant occlusion.” Reviews have found insufficient evidence to establish rigid clinical rules for every implant situation.

Again, the useful lesson is not dogma. It is individualized planning.

First, an Important Distinction: Your Bite Does Not Necessarily Cause Grinding

This deserves to be stated clearly because older dental philosophies often blurred two different concepts.

Historically, dentists frequently attributed grinding, clenching, muscle soreness, and temporomandibular disorders to occlusal interferences or a “bad bite.”

Current evidence does not support that simple cause-and-effect relationship.

Contemporary literature on sleep bruxism does not consider dental occlusion a primary cause of sleep bruxism, and NIDCR specifically cautions that evidence does not support the belief that a “bad bite” causes TMD. Temporomandibular disorders are multifactorial conditions. [24][25]

So we should not look at a patient and conclude: “Your bite made you grind.”

But that does not make the bite irrelevant.

A more clinically useful question is: If significant forces are being generated, how are those forces being distributed through this patient’s teeth, restorations, muscles, and joints?

That is the distinction between cause and mechanical consequence.

What Does “Occlusal Stability” Mean?

You may hear dentists describe an occlusion as stable, physiologic, or “in harmony.”

Those terms should not mean that a patient’s teeth conform to one idealized textbook diagram.

A more useful interpretation is that the system is functioning without progressive breakdown.

For a restorative dentist, signs of stability might include teeth that maintain their position, comfortable joints and muscles, restorations that are functioning predictably, and a pattern of tooth contact that is compatible with the patient’s anatomy and function.

By contrast, we become more interested in the occlusal system when we see patterns such as progressive tooth wear, repeated fractures, restoration failures, tooth movement, loss of posterior support, significant changes in occlusal relationships, or other evidence that the existing system may not be tolerating its mechanical environment.

Spear Education describes occlusal stability within a broader system involving the teeth, muscles, temporomandibular joints, and airway, and emphasizes establishing a diagnosis before deciding whether restorative or appliance therapy is appropriate. [26]

That diagnosis-first philosophy is an important part of how we approach comprehensive cases at Lagoon Dental.

The Spear Approach: Evaluate the System Before Restoring It

Spear’s Facially Generated Treatment Planning framework encourages the dentist to move beyond individual teeth and evaluate the patient through a structured sequence involving airway, esthetics, function, structure, and biology.

Within the functional assessment, we evaluate the joints, muscles, tooth relationships, occlusal stability, and parafunction.

The goal is not to impose an occlusal philosophy on every patient.

The goal is to determine: What does long-term stability look like for this patient, and what must be understood before irreversible restorative treatment begins? [27]

That becomes particularly important in comprehensive dentistry.

If I am replacing a small filling in an otherwise healthy mouth, there may be very little reason to change the patient’s established occlusal system.

If I am rebuilding a severely worn dentition, replacing multiple missing teeth, changing anterior tooth position, or restoring numerous teeth, the situation is very different.

The restorative treatment itself may significantly alter the surfaces determining how the teeth contact. In those situations, function has to be planned, not discovered accidentally after the final restorations are delivered.

Why Do We Examine the Teeth, Muscles, and Jaw Joints Together?

Because they work together.

The teeth determine where contacts occur. The muscles generate and control mandibular movement. The temporomandibular joints guide and accommodate that movement. The nervous system coordinates all of it.

A patient may develop adaptations that allow a less-than-ideal anatomical relationship to remain comfortable and functional for years.

That is why we do not treat radiographs, articulating-paper marks, tooth wear, or jaw position in isolation.

We ask whether the system is adapted and stable or whether there are findings that justify further investigation.

Spear’s current educational material similarly emphasizes evaluating joint stability, muscle activity, occlusal relationships, and parafunction before complex restorative treatment. [27]

What Can Happen When the System Begins to Break Down?

Repeatedly Broken Teeth

A weakened cusp or heavily restored tooth may eventually fracture when the forces being applied exceed what the remaining structure can tolerate.

That does not mean occlusion was the only cause. Decay, restoration size, remaining tooth structure, previous endodontic treatment, erosion, age, and other variables can all influence fracture risk.

But mechanical loading remains part of the equation.

Worn or Shortened Teeth

Wear may occur from repeated tooth contact, but tooth wear is frequently multifactorial.

Grinding can contribute. Acid erosion may chemically soften tooth structure. Tooth position can alter contact patterns. Missing teeth may change the mechanical environment.

The pattern should therefore be diagnosed rather than simply labeled.

Broken or Chipped Restorations

Fillings, veneers, crowns, bridges, and other restorations all function under load.

If failures recur, evaluating the underlying mechanical environment may be more useful than continually replacing individual restorations.

Changes After Missing Teeth

The loss of teeth can reduce available occlusal support and alter the distribution of function. This becomes increasingly relevant when several teeth are missing or posterior support has been substantially reduced.

We will explore that more thoroughly in the dedicated article on missing teeth and occlusal support.

Malocclusion Can Affect More Than Tooth Contacts

Research also shows that more severe malocclusions can affect patients in ways that go beyond laboratory measurements.

Systematic reviews in adolescents have found moderate-quality evidence that malocclusion can negatively affect oral-health-related quality of life, and adult studies have found associations between greater malocclusion severity and poorer satisfaction with occlusal function and psychosocial quality-of-life measures. [12][14]

That does not mean every crooked tooth is a health problem.

Appearance, function, severity, age, cultural context, and the patient’s own perception all influence impact.

This is another reason treatment should be patient-specific rather than anatomy-specific.

What About TMD and Jaw Pain?

Temporomandibular disorders affect the jaw joints, muscles, or related structures and can significantly affect quality of life. [17]

But their causes are multifactorial.

Occlusal findings may coexist with TMD, and changes such as loss of posterior support can be clinically relevant in selected situations. However, the presence of an unusual bite does not prove that the bite caused the patient’s pain.

This distinction is important because irreversible dental treatment should not be performed simply because someone has jaw symptoms and an imperfect bite.

Diagnosis comes first.

That is also why, at Lagoon Dental, we evaluate the muscles and temporomandibular joints as part of comprehensive care rather than assuming every functional complaint is a tooth problem.

Why Isn’t Biting on Articulating Paper Enough?

Articulating paper is useful. But it is not a complete functional diagnosis.

A paper mark tells us that contact occurred. It does not, by itself, tell us everything about magnitude, timing, duration, direction, muscle recruitment, joint position, or the significance of that contact within the entire system.

Research into occlusion is challenging partly because even our measurement devices can alter normal function. [2][3]

Spear’s educational philosophy makes a similar practical point: complex occlusal questions may require more information than simply observing where blue marks appear. Comprehensive assessment may involve the muscles, joints, photographs, models, mandibular relationships, and the history of what has happened to the teeth over time. [28]

Why Might We Use Bite Records, a Facebow, Deprogrammer, or Mounted Models?

Not every patient needs these records. They are diagnostic tools – not rituals.

For selected complex cases, additional records can allow us to evaluate relationships that are difficult to study accurately during a routine examination.

At Lagoon Dental, depending on the case, that may include additional photography, digital models, bite records, a facebow, centric-relation records, a deprogrammer when indicated, mounted models, and a diagnostic wax-up.

The purpose is not to make dentistry unnecessarily complicated. It is to keep us from oversimplifying a complicated problem.

Research examining dentists’ occlusal assessment habits has found substantial variation in the use of techniques such as articulators, facebows, and dynamic occlusal examination, reflecting the broader inconsistency that still exists in how occlusion is taught and applied clinically. [1]

For us, the question is therefore never: “Does every patient need mounted models?” It is: “Will these records materially improve our diagnosis or make this treatment more predictable?”

What Is Centric Relation – and Does Everyone Need to Be Treated There?

Centric relation is a reproducible jaw-reference relationship that can be useful diagnostically and restoratively in selected patients.

It is not something we believe every person needs to be forced into.

In complex treatment, a reproducible reference can help us study the difference between jaw relationships and habitual tooth contact, particularly when existing tooth contacts may be influencing where the mandible habitually closes.

But reference positions are tools. They are not diagnoses.

Before changing a stable patient’s bite, we need to understand the condition of the joints, muscles, teeth, and existing functional adaptation.

This is consistent with the larger evidence-based principle that occlusal treatment should be individualized rather than based on one stereotyped universal scheme. [29]

When Does Occlusion Become Especially Important in Restorative Dentistry?

Occlusion deserves particularly close attention when multiple variables begin interacting.

Examples include severe tooth wear, repeatedly fractured teeth, numerous failing restorations, multiple missing teeth, significant changes in tooth position, implant-supported restorations, and full-mouth rehabilitation.

In these cases, restorative treatment itself may change tooth length, tooth position, occlusal planes, anterior guidance, available posterior support, vertical relationships, and the distribution of contacts.

That is why treatment planning has to define the desired outcome before the final restorative surfaces are created.

Spear’s treatment-planning and phased-restorative literature emphasizes precisely this point: complex wear cases require control of occlusion throughout treatment, careful provisionalization, and coordinated sequencing rather than restoring teeth randomly as individual failures occur. [30]

Do We Need to Create a “Perfect Bite”?

No.

And I think this is one of the most important concepts for patients to understand.

There is no reason to substantially alter a healthy, comfortable, adaptive occlusal system simply because it does not fit someone’s concept of a textbook ideal.

The literature shows considerable physiologic adaptation within the masticatory system, and research has not established one universal occlusal philosophy that is superior for every natural dentition and every restorative situation. [2][3]

The objective is not perfection. The objective is health, comfort, function, stability, and compatibility with the dentistry being planned.

Sometimes that means preserving the existing bite. Sometimes it means orthodontically repositioning teeth. Sometimes it means restoring lost tooth structure. Sometimes it means replacing missing support. Sometimes an appliance is appropriate. And sometimes the best treatment is simply observation.

The diagnosis determines which of those paths makes sense.

How We Evaluate Occlusion at Lagoon Dental

During a comprehensive evaluation, we are not simply looking to see whether your teeth are “straight.”

We are trying to understand how your individual system is functioning.

That includes the condition of the teeth and restorations, tooth-wear patterns, areas of fracture or structural weakness, tooth position, missing teeth, static and dynamic tooth contacts, the jaw joints, masticatory muscles, evidence of grinding or clenching, signs of acid erosion, periodontal health, and your own history and symptoms.

Our standard comprehensive examination includes clinical photography, digital scanning, radiographs, periodontal evaluation, bite and occlusal assessment, TMJ and muscle examination, tooth-wear evaluation, evaluation of existing restorations, and airway and sleep screening.

When a restorative case becomes more complex, we may obtain additional records before deciding what treatment should be performed.

That process reflects the Facially Generated Treatment Planning philosophy I have learned through Spear Education: understand the patient comprehensively, establish the desired outcome, and only then determine the procedures necessary to get there.

The Takeaway

Occlusion matters. But probably not for the simplistic reasons dentistry once taught.

An imperfect bite does not automatically cause grinding. It does not automatically cause TMD. And it does not automatically require correction.

At the same time, the relationship between the teeth can influence chewing efficiency, the distribution of load, the functional environment of restorations, and the way a patient adapts – particularly when malocclusion is more significant or the dentition is already compromised.

The most useful question is therefore not: “Do I have a perfect bite?”

It is: “Is my bite functioning in a way that is healthy, stable, comfortable, and compatible with my teeth and the dentistry I need?”

For a patient with healthy teeth and a stable system, the answer may be to leave it alone.

For a patient whose teeth are becoming shorter, repeatedly breaking, shifting, losing restorations, or requiring extensive reconstruction, understanding the occlusal system can become an essential part of determining why the mouth is breaking down and how to rebuild it predictably.

That is the role occlusion plays in comprehensive dentistry.

Are Your Teeth Wearing, Breaking, or Repeatedly Losing Dental Work?

When the same problems keep occurring, simply repairing the next tooth may not answer the larger question.

At Lagoon Dental in Titusville, Dr. Jesse LeBrecht evaluates the teeth, bite, tooth wear, existing dentistry, muscles, jaw joints, and overall condition of the mouth as part of comprehensive treatment planning.

Request a Comprehensive Evaluation

Read more about Grinding & Clenching, or learn how we approach Full Mouth Rehabilitation & Reconstruction when worn, broken, missing, or failing teeth have become part of a larger pattern.

Clinical Sources & References

These references support the clinical statements in the article and can be retained by the website team as the editorial source record.

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2. Peck CC. Biomechanics of occlusion – implications for oral rehabilitation. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2016;43(3):205-214. doi:10.1111/joor.12345.
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5. Wang M, Mehta N. A possible biomechanical role of occlusal cusp-fossa contact relationships. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2013;40(1):69-79. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2842.2012.02333.x.
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13. Alrashed M, Alqerban A. The Relationship Between Malocclusion and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Orthodontics. 2021;43(2):173-183. doi:10.1093/ejo/cjaa051.
14. Narhi L, Tolvanen M, Pirttiniemi P, Silvola AS. Malocclusion Severity and Its Associations With Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in an Adult Population. European Journal of Orthodontics. 2022;44(4):377-384. doi:10.1093/ejo/cjab070.
15. Elyaskhil M, Shafai NAA, Mokhtar N. Effect of Malocclusion Severity on Oral Health Related Quality of Life in Malay Adolescents. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2021;19(1):71. doi:10.1186/s12955-021-01710-2.
16. Choi SH, Kim JS, Cha JY, Hwang CJ. Effect of Malocclusion Severity on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Food Intake Ability in a Korean Population. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 2016;149(3):384-390. doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2015.08.019.
17. Qamar Z, Alghamdi AMS, Haydarah NKB, et al. Impact of temporomandibular disorders on oral health-related quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2023;50(8):706-714. doi:10.1111/joor.13472.
18. Zorawna M, Mantyla P, Pitkala K, et al. Relationship of occlusal status with health-related quality of life among older adults in long-term care facilities. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2023;50(6):452-459. doi:10.1111/joor.13431.
19. Bunpu P, Changsiripun C. Assessment of masticatory performance in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2023;50(7):596-616. doi:10.1111/joor.13447.
20. Madhan S, Nascimento GG, Ingerslev J, et al. Associations between temporomandibular disorders, pain, jaw and masticatory function in dentofacial deformity patients: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 2023;50(9):746-757. doi:10.1111/joor.13483.
21. The Effect of Patient Specific Factors on Occlusal Forces Generated: Best Evidence Consensus Statement. Journal of Prosthodontics. PubMed PMID: 33474770.
22. American Dental Association Science & Research Institute. Research on dental composites and mechanical fatigue under repeated chewing and clenching forces.
23. ANSI/ADA Standard No. 69 – Dental Ceramic. American Dental Association.
24. Thomas DC, Manfredini D, et al. Sleep bruxism: The past, the present, and the future – evolution of a concept. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2024.
25. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD). https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tmd.
26. Spear Education. Occlusal Stability in Restorative Dentistry: When Is It Safe to Treat? https://www.speareducation.com/resources/spear-digest/occlusal-stability-when-is-it-safe-totreat/.
27. Spear Education. Advanced Treatment Planning / AEFSB framework: Airway, Esthetics, Function, Structure, Biology.
28. Spear Education. The Point of the First Point. Used for practical discussion of occlusal contacts and comprehensive functional assessment.
29. Spear Education. What Is Centric Relation? Used for patient-specific use of centric relation and the importance of joint condition.
30. Spear Education. How to Plan Phased Restorative Dentistry for Complex Wear. Used for sequencing, provisionalization, and functional control in complex restorative cases.