retrocline

R1E1T1R1O1C3L1I1N1E1

verb

Of teeth, to lean backward.

Scrabble 12

Meanings

verbretrocline (third-person singular simple present retroclines, present participle retroclining, simple past and past participle retroclined)

present singular third person retroclines · participle present retroclining · participle past retroclined · past retroclined

  1. intransitivedentistryOf teeth, to lean backward.

    In Class II cases the maxillary incisors retrocline and the eruption of teeth in the maxillary buccal segments is directed distally during treatment. In the mandibular arch the lower incisors tend to procline and the teeth in the buccal segments erupt in a more mesial direction.

    2010, Jayne Harrison, Kathleen O'Donovan, “Orthodontic Dental Nursing”, in Robert S. Ireland, editor, Advanced Dental Nursing, 2nd edition, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, →ISBN, page 308
  2. transitivedentistryTo cause (teeth) to lean backward.

    These curves do have a tendency to procline the incisors so the wires are often tied back […] to maintain the arch length and minimise incisor proclination. Alternatively, torque can be placed in the archwire to retrocline the incisors.

    2010, Jayne Harrison, Kathleen O'Donovan, “Orthodontic Dental Nursing”, in Robert S. Ireland, editor, Advanced Dental Nursing, 2nd edition, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, →ISBN, page 273

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

retrocline. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrocline

MLA

“retrocline.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrocline. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “retrocline,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/retrocline.

Source: retrocline on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.