Prognathism is the positional relationship of the
mandible and/or
maxilla to the skeletal base where either of the jaws protrudes beyond a predetermined imaginary line in the
coronal plane of the skull. In general dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics, this is assessed clinically or radiographically (
cephalometrics). The word "prognathism" derives from Greek
pro (forward) and γνάθος
gnathos (jaw). One or more types of prognathism may result in the common condition of
malocclusion, in which an individual's top
teeth and lower teeth do not align properly.