Question

the latin prefix mal bad and root occludere to close up help the reader understand that the word malocclusions means— a ways in which adult teeth can decay b coming together abnormally or badly c bad or scary appearance of gums d gums that are not straight but crooked

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "malocclusions", we analyze the prefix and root. The prefix "mal-" means "bad", and the root "occludere" means "to close up". So we combine these meanings: "bad" + "to close up" implies a bad or abnormal closing/coming together.

• Option A: Talks about tooth decay, which is not related to "closing up", so incorrect.
• Option B: "Coming together abnormally or badly" matches the combined meaning of the prefix and root, so this is correct.
• Option C: Focuses on gums' appearance, not related to "closing up", incorrect.
• Option D: Talks about crooked gums, not related to "closing up", incorrect.

Answer:

B. coming together abnormally or badly