Occlusal trauma is the damage to teeth when an excessive force is acted upon them and they do not align properly.

When the jaws close, for instance during chewing or at rest, the relationship between the opposing teeth is referred to as occlusion. When trauma, disease or dental treatment alters occlusion by changing the biting surface of any of the teeth, the teeth will come together differently, and their occlusion will change. When that change has a negative effect on how the teeth occlude, this may cause tenderness, pain, and damage to or movement of the teeth. This is called traumatic occlusion.

Traumatic occlusion may cause a thickening of the cervical margin of the alveolar bone and widening of the periodontal ligament, although the latter can also be caused by other processes.