The dental midline is the

midsagittal The median plane also called a mid-sagittal plane is used to describe the sagittal plane as it bisects the body vertically through the midline marked by the navel, dividing the body exactly in left and right side. The term parasagittal plane is u ...

line of maxillary and mandibular

dental arch The dental arches are the two arches (crescent arrangements) of teeth, one on each jaw, that together constitute the dentition. In humans and many other species; the superior (maxillary or upper) dental arch is a little larger than the inferior ...

es possessing

teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

of ideal size, shape, and position, when situated in maximum intercuspation. Each arch also possesses its own midline, which can be used to refer to the location of contact between the

mesial This is a list of definitions of commonly used terms of location and direction in dentistry. This set of terms provides orientation within the oral cavity, much as anatomical terms of location provide orientation throughout the body. Terms ...

surfaces of the

central incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wh ...

s. Thus, if an individual's mandibular teeth are shifted over to the left in a mesial-distal dimension, by 2 mm, for example, that individual's midline would be said to be deviated 2 mm to the left.

References

* Ash, Major M.; Nelson, Stanley. WHEELER'S DENTAL ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND OCCLUSION, 8th edition. Dental anatomy Restorative dentistry {{dentistry-stub