Deep bite is defined as a form of malocclusion in which the upper row of front teeth overlaps the bottom front teeth when the mouth is closed. This orthodontic concern is sometimes referred to as a closed bite or overbite. In some cases, a deep bite can affect a person's ability to speak, breathe, and chew properly.
The bite can be rebuilt to function correctly by adding crowns, implants, or bridgework. Traditional braces and clear aligners can also move crooked or out-of-place teeth back into their proper positions to help the bite open. In very severe cases, orthognathic surgery is required to move the bone into place.
Deep bite can be corrected using braces, clear aligners, orthognathic surgery or some combination of the above. Orthodontists may also use devices like elastics, magnets, mini-screws, twin blocks, and other tools to produce the desired results.
A deep bite, a common malocclusion seen in children and adults, is tough to treat. A successful bite correction treatment usually takes around 1.5 to 2 years.
What is Deep Bite? Out of all the bite disorders, a deep overbite – when the upper front teeth almost completely overlap the lower front teeth – is the most detrimental to the teeth and health of the jaw joints. It also has an impact on facial aesthetics.
Yes, fixing an overbite can change the shape of your face. Overbites make your face look asymmetric. Furthermore, they can cause discomfort, and they may also affect speech and make wearing dentures difficult.
What happens if a deep bite is not treated? If a deep bite is not treated a patient's lower teeth may become damaged. Over time the top teeth may wear down on the lower teeth. This can also cause canker sores and ulcers in a patient's mouth.
Treatment of deep overbites involves a careful diagnosis, treatment plan, and mechanics plan. Pure intrusion of upper or lower incisors alone or in combination with flaring and extrusion of posterior teeth are common methods to correct deep overbites.
Adults commonly use various types of braces and invisible aligners (like Invisalign) to correct a bite issue. These are most common paths to changing teeth placement and fixing an overbite without surgery.
Jaw Surgery Is Most Effective for a Significant Overbite
If your upper teeth hang over your lower teeth by more than a few millimeters — and you want to see a marked improvement — jaw surgery will likely be necessary. Orthodontic treatments cannot fully correct significant bite problems.
Often, deep overbites can be corrected as part of orthodontic treatment. However, in severe cases of deep bite, the patient may require orthognathic surgery to correct the teeth and jaw.
Invisalign can correct about 90% of all deep bites. But there are certain types of severe deep bites that may be better treated by using braces or some other type of orthodontic appliance.
Aging – As we get older, our bite naturally deepens. This means even a mild overbite will worsen with age. If you had orthodontic treatment in the past, but forget to wear your retainer, your excessive overbite could reappear.
You cannot fix overbite naturally; braces or surgery will be needed to correct an overbite. However, you can prevent some cases of overbite when you cure some childhood habits like thumb sucking, pencil chewing — overuse of dummies for babies.
Obviously, the deep bite is the distance between the edge of the upper and lower central incisors vertically. Clearly, the overbite considered normal has the upper front teeth exceeding approximately 1/3 of the lower ones.
Braces: About $4,500, depending on the dentist. Traditional aligners: About $5,000, depending on the dentist. Doctor-directed, at-home aligners: About $2,000, depending on the company you choose. Surgery: Between $20,000 to $40,000, depending on the severity of your overbite.
Harm of deep bite
The harmful effects of a deep bite cause: Aesthetics: A deep bite can lead to an unbalanced, harmonious face, or protrusion of the upper jaw or dented lower jaw and chin, unsightly smile, poor self-esteem.
The bodily structure is determined by the shape, size, and alignment of bones, so an overbite can significantly affect your jawline, and by extension, your facial structure.
Not only can these aligners rearrange teeth into a straighter arch, but they can also change your bite. If you have an open bite, cross bite, or overbite, Invisalign can steadily adjust your upper and lower teeth to line up more efficiently.
If the maxillary incisors overlap the mandibular incisors by 5% to 25%, it is considered normal. If the overlap is between 25% to 40%, it is increased overbite, it is said to be deepbite if the overlap is more than 40%. The prevalence of deepbite in Indian children is 12-20 %.
How long does it take to fix a deep bite with Invisalign? The treatment time will depend on the severity of the deep bite. That said, Invisalign treatment may take between 6 to 36 months to fully correct.
Invisalign can't reshape your teeth, so if you have a few teeth that are very small or misshapen, it may not be possible to get Invisalign treatment. These improperly-shaped teeth can mess up the alignment of your aligners. However, you may be able to have these teeth treated with a dental crown or dental bonding.
With such a deep bite, the chin of the person appears recessive or is pushed back by the upper jawline. Burbank dentist Dr. Sahakyan says that most often, it's difficult to understand the inherent connection between the jawline and facial looks. In fact, some patients might even suffer from low self-esteem.
The biteplane is an appliance used to reduce a deep overbite, whereby the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth excessively. It works by preventing the patient from biting down all the way on his or her back teeth. This allows the back teeth to emerge naturally, which reduces the overlap of the front teeth.