title: Occlusal plane: a clinical evaluation.
abstract: The observation of the evolutionary characteristics of Hominid, of the ontogenesis of the occlusal biologic system and of the architectural influence of the occlusal field on the craniofacial morphology brings the evidence of the need for a clinical evaluation of the occlusal plane as an alternative approach to diagnosis in each treatment of the child, adolescent, adult or elder person. The purpose of this paper is to specify some indicators on the occlusal plane with regards to its inclination, length, continuity that facilitate the differential diagnosis especially during development, including those related to orofacial pain and TMJ disturbances.
authors.affiliation: Dental Faculty, C.C. Branco University, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Simoes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D003767:Dental Occlusion, Balanced; D003817:Dentition; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis