How to Fix an Overbite in Westfield, IN: Your Guide to a Confident Smile
An overbite—which refers to particular issues with a person’s bite, or how the teeth fit together—can affect both the function and appearance of your smile. If you're wondering how to fix an overbite in Westfield, IN, understanding your treatment options is the first step toward a healthier, more confident you! By the end of this post you’ll understand what an overbite is, why it needs to be addressed, and how we can guide you to your final result.
Understanding Overbites
“Why do I have such a big overbite??”
“Overbite” is a common term used to refer to issues with your bite, and can refer to a couple different bite issues:
1. Vertical overlap of the front teeth:
In the tooth world, your overbite is simply how much the upper front teeth vertically overlap the bottom front teeth. The truth is, in an ideal bite, we actually WANT the upper front teeth to overlap the bottom front teeth a little bit (a couple of millimeters) – enough that when you chew and function your front teeth aren’t banging together, but instead are working together in a mutually protective way.
When the overlap gets excessive, also known as a deep bite, the upper front teeth overlap the lower teeth too much and can cause long term issues. If left untreated, a deep overbite can lead to issues such as jaw pain, tooth wear, impinging on the palatal tissue, and difficulties in chewing or speaking. We want to correct things like this to protect the teeth long term!
2. Horizontal overlap of the front teeth:
Most often when you hear the term “overbite,” folks are referring to how much their upper front teeth stick out in front of their lower front teeth (“I have buck teeth!”). In the tooth world, this relationship is referred to as “overjet” (so as not to confuse the condition with #1 above), but we’re talking about the same thing. We’ll focus on #2 in the rest of this article, since this is the more common use of the term.
Causes of Overbite Development
Overbites can be caused by a few things, some within our control, and some outside of our control:
Genetics: The size of our jaws and teeth certainly have genetic component to them, you can thank mom or dad for that! Tooth size or jaw size mismatches can contribute to the development of an overbite.
Mismatched Jaw Growth and Development: If the upper jaw grows too far forward for the lower jaw, you could see an overbite develop. More commonly, though, it’s that the lower jaw is too far behind the upper jaw, leading to an overbite.
Prolonged Thumb-Sucking or Oral Habit During Childhood: Constantly having a finger, thumb, or other object in the mouth will tend to make the upper teeth flare forward, contributing to an overbite. This prolonged finger habit can also negatively affect the development of the upper jaw width, causing it to constrict laterally and prop the bite open. If at all possible, try to stop your child from using a pacifier or thumb by age 3!
Tongue thrust: Sometimes a tongue thrusting habit (pushing the tongue against the back of the front teeth) can flare the front teeth and create an overbite.
Why Correcting an Overbite Matters
Addressing an overbite is more than a cosmetic concern; it's essential for oral health. Untreated overbites can lead to things like:
Excessive and uneven tooth wear: when the front teeth don’t touch at all, the bulk of the forces when chewing are directed primarily and unevenly on the back teeth – which if left untreated can lead over time to potential breakdown of the back teeth (since they’re taking all the force) possibly requiring other dental work such as crowns.
Difficulty biting or chewing
Increased risk of dental trauma: when the upper front teeth stick out, they can be more prone to injury in case of a fall or playing contact sports
Possible future Jaw discomfort or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
Self-esteem issues due to appearance: not only would this correction correct the teeth into the proper position, but when treated at the ideal age, we can orthopedically correct the jaw positions to achieve a more balanced and esthetic facial profile
Correcting your smile, bite, and facial features can truly transform a person! It’s much more than just straight teeth, we want to give you your best aesthetic and functional result that you can be confident in. We aren’t the only ones who believe this way. Dr. Kenner Misner, an experienced orthodontist in Tulsa, OK, is an excellent example of an orthodontic specialist who treats the patient as a whole, not just straightening teeth.
How We Correct an Overbite
We won’t bore you with too many tooth details here, these things we can dive into more detail if they apply to you at your consultation. There are a few ways to correct an overbite, and we’ll outline and compare the options:
Growth modification: For more significant overbites, or when improving the facial profile is the goal. This is an orthopedic approach to the overbite correction, where we guide the lower jaw growth and development to a more forward position to match the upper jaw. This utilizes the patient’s natural growth to guide the growth direction of the jaws to correct the bite using certain appliances that work together with the braces.
Elastics or springs: This is a very common method for correcting mild to moderate overbites, and involves wearing elastics or springs with your braces/aligners to move the upper and lower teeth into position. There’s no orthopedic effect here, just moving the teeth within the jaws as they are. For the most ideal result, elastics are needed in almost all cases for at least part of the time.
Least ideal, but still an option:
Extracting teeth: Sometimes doctors will recommend removing two upper premolars (on the sides) and using that space to bring the upper front teeth back. This helps to get the overbite corrected but sometimes compromises smile/facial esthetics to do so (usually we need to bring the lower jaw forward, not the upper jaw/teeth backward). We rarely do this in our office, but can sometimes be utilized if the patient or family desires.
Correcting the bite is super important for long term health of the teeth, we want all the teeth working together functionally as a whole!
When to Correct an Overbite
Is earlier better in this scenario? While early interceptive treatment between the ages of 7 and 10 is beneficial for other corrections (such as expansion), the overbite is best corrected during the adolescent growth spurt.
The reason for this is that we are trying to utilize their natural growth to guide it in the desired direction. We know we can’t “grow jaws” with our treatment to be bigger than what they naturally would (beware of sources that tell you they can do this, science wins here), but this growth spurt is CRUCIAL to tap into to achieve the desired facial and orthopedic outcome. We don’t want to miss this window!
The ideal age range for girls is somewhere between 11 and 14 (depending on individual timing for hitting their growth spurt) – boys physically (and mentally ;)) mature later than girls, so the ideal age range for boys is between 12 and 15.
What happens if you’re not growing anymore and you missed the window to correct the overbite? Well then you’re left with just trying to move the teeth (not the jaws) to get the bite to fit together the best you can by using springs or elastics (with your braces or aligners). Often times there are structural limitations that can limit the amount of overbite correction you can achieve at this stage. Once you’re done growing, if the overbite is significant, the only other option to achieve full correction may be a surgical procedure to correct the jaw positions. That’s why it’s crucial to time the treatment well!
It’s important to visit your orthodontist regularly for growth monitoring (even when they still have baby teeth) to make sure you time treatment appropriately. Our consultations are always free! There is absolutely no cost for us to have a look, reach out to us to schedule yours!
Take the First Step Toward a Better Smile in Westfield, IN
At our Westfield orthodontic practice, we pride ourselves on delivering high-touch, artistic, personal, and intentional patient care. Our approach is results-driven, focusing on both functional outcomes and aesthetic excellence to ensure you love your smile.
If you're ready to address your overbite and enhance your smile, we're here to guide you every step of the way. Contact our Westfield office today to schedule a free consultation and discover the best treatment option for you!
About the Authors:
Dr. Sam Titus, DDS, MS: Orthodontist in Westfield, IN
Dr. Kenner Misner, DDS, MS Orthodontist in Tulsa, OK
