What Is An Overbite & How To Correct It

Did you know that most people have at least a little overbite? While not everyone needs to get their overbite treated or “corrected”, people who have a particularly deep bite may need to see a dentist.  

What is an Overbite?

An overbite is a misalignment or deviation – or a “malocclusion” as we dentists call it – that causes the upper jaw to protrude out over the lower jaw. When that happens, your front upper teeth overlap your bottom teeth, impacting your normal jaw and teeth function.  

When you have a healthy, normal bite, it means all your teeth align properly when you close your jaw. Your molars line up perfectly so that the grooves in your teeth fit together well and your upper front teeth overlap the lower ones in the slightest way.

If you are one of the people who have slight overbites, you don’t really need any treatment.

What Causes an Overbite?  

People can develop overbite due to a lot of reasons, one being the genetics. If you have inherited your overbite from your mother or father, it means it’s the natural size or shape of your teeth and jaw.

Too little or too much jaw space creates problems that can be further aggravated by other behaviors such as:  

Thumb-sucking: You may have heard someone say that sucking a thumb or pacifier can lead to buck teeth in children. It’s not an old-wives tale; these seemingly normal childhood behaviors can affect a child’s teeth due to the pressure placed on their front teeth.

Tongue Thrusting: Thrusting your tongue against the backs of your front teeth over and over again can cause an overbite over time. This repetitive thrusting can be caused by stress, swollen tonsils, or something else. The worst part is, you may not even know that you are doing it since it can happen overnight during your sleep.  

Nail-Biting and Chewing Inappropriate Objects: Whether you are a teen or an adult, if you constantly bite on your nails or gnaw on pencils (for example), your tooth can grow out of alignment and you can develop an overbite.

Teeth Grinding: If you grind your teeth, whether during your waking hours or in your sleep, you are at a greater risk for developing an overbite. If your partner has noticed your teeth grinding habit during your sleep, you may need professional help to get rid of the habit.

Whatever the reason might be, if you neglect an overbite, it may lead to irreparable damage and other complications such as:

• Tooth decay due to wear-and-tear on your tooth enamel

• Jaw pain

• Headaches

• Speech impediments

• Gum disease due to difficulty cleaning between the teeth

• Sleep apnea

• Breathing problems  

Deep or severe overbites not only affect the shape of your face and how you look, but they can cause serious health issues as well.

How To Correct an Overbite?

Correcting an overbite may require palate expanders to create more room for teeth or tooth extraction to correct crowding, but generally speaking, orthodontic treatment is the most common way to get rid of an overbite. During these treatments, a certain type of appliance is used to slowly move the teeth and retrain the muscles over time.

Rectifying an overbite is easier during childhood years since the jaw is still growing and can shift easily. But if you are an adult, surgery might be the only option because your jaw can’t grow anymore.