A malocclusion is a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches when they approach each other as the jaws close. The term was coined by Edward Angle, the "father of modern orthodontics",Gruenbaum, Tamar. Famous Figures in Dentistry Mouth - JASDA 2010;30(1):18 as a derivative of occlusion, which refers to the manner in which opposing teeth meet (mal- + occlusion = "incorrect occlusion").
