Australian Dental Council (ADC) Test 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Dental crowding refers to a situation where there is insufficient space in the dental arch to accommodate all teeth properly, leading to misalignment. Overlapping of lower incisors is a prevalent consequence of this condition, as the lack of space forces teeth to shift or rotate into less desirable positions.

When crowding occurs, the lower incisors may overlap due to adjacent teeth being pushed into the available space, which can compromise occlusion and overall dental function. This overlap can create challenges for effective oral hygiene, making it more difficult to clean teeth properly and increasing the risk of plaque accumulation and cavities in those areas.

Looking at palatal displacement of upper canines, while this can occur in crowded situations, it is typically more associated with specific arch forms or other issues rather than being a direct consequence of crowding alone. The impaction of teeth, particularly 15 and 25, and rotation of 16 and 26 are also potential outcomes associated with crowding but are less common in comparison to the more straightforward case of incisor overlap. Therefore, while other consequences exist, overlapping of lower incisors stands out as a direct and common result of dental crowding.