Overeruption is a term used in dentistry to describe the physiological movement of a tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

 lacking an opposing partner in the dental occlusion

Occlusion (dentistry)

Occlusion, in a dental context, means simply the contact between teeth. More technically, it is the relationship between the maxillary and mandibular teeth when they approach each other, as occurs during chewing or at rest....

. Because of the lack of opposing force

Force

In physics, a force is any influence that causes an object to undergo a change in speed, a change in direction, or a change in shape. In other words, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity , i.e., to accelerate, or which can cause a flexible object to deform...

 and the natural eruptive potential of the tooth there is a tendency for the tooth to erupt out of the line of the occlusion.

Overeruption can cause interferences in the occlusion and difficulty when constructing dentures

Dentures

Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental...

. The alveolar bone typically overgrows, but root surfaces can be exposed to the oral environment increasing likelihood of dental caries

Dental caries

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an irreversible infection usually bacterial in origin that causes demineralization of the hard tissues and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the...

.

See also Dahl effect

Dahl effect

The Dahl effect or Dahl concept is a concept used in dentistry where changes are planned in the occlusion of the dentition. Dahl first described this phenomenon: a Dahl appliance uses an anterior bite plane to increase the available interocclusal space available for restorations.It is of great...

.