113 lateral teleradiographs of students were analysed by A. M. Schwarz's method of X-ray analysis inorder to clarify whether the occlusal position of a patient can be determined from gnathometric data and data relating to soft parts in the lateral teleradiograph with sufficient certainty. The relatively high proportion of close bite cases (20%) enabled a comparison to be made of the measurements of anatomically correct occlusal position and close bite. The large scatter of the measurements for anatomically correct interlocking was striking. Of seven specific close bite characteristics, with anatomically correct occlusal position three at most could be identified whereas in cases of close bite, four to six occurred. So the diagnosis of "close bite" from the appearance of four or more close bite characteristics in the lateral teleradiograph seems to be confirmed.