Smash the 2026 Orthodontics 5th Year SC Exam – Brace Yourself for Success!

Postural influence on the jaw position during sleep can shift the way the teeth meet. When the head is extended, the neck is elongated and the jaw tends to sit in a more posterior position to maintain alignment with the skull and airway. This tendency to a retruded mandible places the lower teeth farther back relative to the uppers, making the distal contact of the molars more likely. In this posture, the condyle sits more posteriorly in the socket, altering the occlusal relationship toward distal occlusion. Neutral head position preserves the typical relationship, while head flexion or lateral tilt tends to produce different, less predictable changes in occlusion. So, extending the head during sleep is the posture most likely to create distal occlusion.