A deep bite means your upper front teeth overlap your lower front teeth too far when you bite down — in an ideal bite, the top teeth just barely cover the edges of the bottom teeth. Deep bites range from mild to severe, they can affect both your smile and your health, and they are one of the most misunderstood bite problems.
How Much Overlap Is Actually Normal?
Some vertical overlap is supposed to be there. When your back teeth are together, the upper front teeth should just barely cover the edges of the lower front teeth. That light overlap keeps your front teeth working the way they should when you bite into food.
A deep bite, sometimes called a closed bite, is when the top teeth significantly overlap the bottom teeth. The most severe deep bites are called impinging, because the front teeth can actually bite into the gums of the opposite arch. When teeth touch the gums like that, the result can be constant pain.
A deep bite is not the same thing as an overjet, even though the two words get swapped constantly. Overjet is horizontal — how far the upper teeth sit in front of the lower ones. Deep bite is vertical — how far down they come. Plenty of people have one without the other, and plenty have both.
What Causes a Deep Bite?
Most deep bites trace back to how the jaws and teeth developed. The most common cause is an underdeveloped lower jaw. When the lower jaw grows more slowly than the upper jaw, the teeth do not meet in the correct position, and the lower front teeth end up tucked behind and beneath the uppers. Over time, that can lead to tooth trauma and even fractures.
Childhood habits play a role too. Using a pacifier, or sucking a thumb or fingers to self-soothe for too long, can give the roof of the mouth a deeper, more vaulted shape while changing the angle of the front teeth. Tongue thrusting can push the front teeth out of position with repeated pressure, and it often comes with speech and chewing difficulties. Finally, tooth tilt matters. All teeth lean slightly toward the tongue, but when the tilt is too large in either direction, the misalignment can produce a deep bite.
Why a Deep Bite Changes Your Side Profile
Many patients ask about this, and it is a fair question. When the bite closes down too far, the distance between your nose and your chin shortens. Orthodontists call that reduced lower facial height. In practical terms it can make the chin look smaller or set back, deepen the crease between the lower lip and chin, and give the lower third of the face a slightly compressed look in profile photos.
Two honest caveats. First, the facial effect is usually modest — a deep bite is a bite problem first and a facial one second. Second, opening a collapsed bite back up does change how the lower face sits, but the dramatic transformations people share online often come from cases treated alongside jaw surgery, growth in a teenager, or extensive restorative work. If your interest is mainly the profile change, the only way to know what is realistic is to have someone measure your bite and review your records. Our deep bite before-and-after gallery shows real BHO patients so you can see the range for yourself.
Problems a Deep Bite Causes Over Time
Left alone, a deep bite is rarely dramatic in any one year and often significant over twenty:
- Wear on the lower front teeth. They take repeated contact from the uppers, and enamel does not grow back. Chipped, shortened, or flattened lower incisors are a classic sign.
- Gum trauma behind the upper front teeth. In impinging bites the lower incisors strike the tissue on the roof of the mouth, which can cause ongoing irritation and pain.
- Jaw joint and muscle strain. A bite that closes too far can leave the jaw joint and the muscles that support it working in a cramped position, which some patients feel as jaw pain or headaches, and it can contribute to TMJ complications.
- Speech and chewing changes. A deep bite can affect how you speak and chew, and correcting the bite can improve both.
How Orthodontists Correct a Deep Bite
Correcting a deep bite means changing how the upper and lower teeth meet vertically. Depending on the cause, that can involve moving teeth, widening a narrow upper jaw or, in more severe cases, repositioning the jaw itself. The right combination depends on your age, your bite, and what is actually driving the overlap.
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How Orthodontists Correct a Deep Bite |
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|---|---|---|
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Treatment |
How it works |
Typically used for |
|
Invisalign |
Clear aligner trays gently move teeth to correct the bite, with the same benefits as braces and none of the brackets |
Many mild to moderate deep bites in teens and adults |
|
Braces |
Brackets bonded to the teeth and an archwire apply gentle pressure to move the teeth |
Deep bites of every severity, including complex cases |
|
Palatal expanders |
An appliance across the roof of the mouth gradually widens the upper jaw |
Growing patients with a narrow upper jaw |
|
Orthodontics plus jaw surgery |
Moves the jaw bones into the correct position when teeth alone cannot compensate |
Some more severe skeletal deep bites |
Our deep bite gallery includes two patients whose bites were corrected using only Invisalign aligners. Most deep bites are treated with braces or Invisalign rather than surgery. Surgery is reserved for some more severe cases where the jaw bones need to move into the correct position, and BHO works with excellent oral surgeons when it is needed; you can see what those outcomes look like in our jaw surgery before-and-after gallery.
How Long Correction Takes, and What It Costs
Bite correction is usually the part of treatment that sets the timeline. Straightening crowded teeth can go quickly; changing how the teeth meet vertically and holding them there takes longer. Many deep bites can be corrected in as little as 12 to 24 months, while cases that involve growth guidance or surgery take longer.
Because deep bite correction is comprehensive treatment rather than a cosmetic touch-up, it is priced like full braces or full Invisalign rather than as a short case. We publish typical ranges in our guide to braces cost in Los Angeles, and payment plans and insurance are covered in our orthodontic financing guide.
One more thing worth planning for: deep bites like to come back. Teeth naturally want to drift back toward where they started, so retention is not optional. Which type of retainer you get, and how long you wear it, matters more in deep bite cases than in almost any other kind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a deep bite be fixed without braces or aligners?
Not really. Something has to change the position of the teeth or jaws, which means orthodontics or, in severe cases, surgery. Cosmetic veneers on the front teeth change how the teeth look, not how they meet, so they do not correct the bite itself.
Can a deep bite affect breathing?
It can be connected. A deep, vaulted palate, which often comes with a deep bite, can affect the sinuses and breathing. One surgical case in our deep bite gallery finished with a better palate shape as well as a better bite and profile.
Will fixing my deep bite change my face?
Opening a closed-down bite increases lower facial height, which can soften the chin crease and lengthen the lower third of the face slightly. Expect a subtle change rather than a different face, and ask for a records-based opinion before you set expectations.
Can Invisalign fix a deep bite?
Often, yes. Two of the patients in our deep bite gallery were treated with Invisalign alone. Severe deep bites may still need braces, an expander or surgery to get a stable result.
Is a deep bite the same as an overbite?
People use “overbite” for both, but clinically a deep bite is vertical overlap and overjet is horizontal protrusion. Many patients have some of each.
Talk It Through With Our Team
If your lower teeth disappear when you bite down, or your lower front teeth are wearing flat, it is worth having your bite measured rather than guessed at. Beverly Hills Orthodontics has corrected deep bites since 2008, with Century City, Downtown LA, Toluca Lake, and Alhambra offices, and the first visit is about getting you a straight answer. Book a free consultation or call or text (310) 785-0770.