Lack of Anterior Guidance, Lack of Protrusive Guidance

- feature of unhealthy teeth

These worn-down front teeth won't provide any anterior guidance or protection to the back teeth

Definition:

When the jaw is in a forward (protruded) position the geometry of the front teeth does not prevent the back teeth from contacting.

Reason this is not good:

Molars have relatively short roots (compared to your front teeth) and are only good at taking forces that are on their longitudinal axis. Without anterior guidance the molars are likely to hit in ways that generate sideways forces. These forces can cause the teeth to loosen, possibly accompanied by the gum and bone receding, and progressing to the teeth falling out.

Are You Lacking Anterior Guidance?
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Things that can go wrong if you don't have anterior guidance:

• Sensitive teeth
• Molar pain
• Worn teeth
• Cracked tooth
• You've probably been bruxing to get to this point and this can lead to other problems such as headaches and TMJ disorders

Treating Lack of Anterior Guidance

If the lack of anterior guidance is caused by the positions of otherwise healthy lower and upper teeth, the guidance may be restored by repositioning the teeth orthodontically. Otherwise, if the guidance has broken down because of severe wear on the front teeth, as illustrated in the photograph above, the teeth have to be restored with crowns and/or other restoration procedures.

See also:

• Anterior guidance
• Canine guidance
• Lack of canine guidance

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