Braces fix an overbite by applying steady pressure that gradually moves teeth into new positions and, over time, reshapes the bone around them. The process typically takes 18 months to 2 years, though milder cases can wrap up in about 12 months. How braces accomplish this depends on whether your overbite comes from tooth positioning, jaw structure, or both.
What Counts as an Overbite
Some degree of overbite is normal and actually necessary for healthy chewing. Your upper front teeth are supposed to overlap your lower front teeth slightly. It only becomes a problem when that vertical overlap exceeds about 2 to 4 millimeters, at which point it’s classified as a deep bite, a type of malocclusion (misaligned bite). At that level, you’re more likely to experience jaw pain, worn-down teeth, and other complications over time.
It’s worth noting that overbite and overjet are different measurements that people often confuse. Overbite is the vertical overlap, how much the upper teeth drop down over the lower teeth. Overjet is the horizontal gap, how far forward the upper teeth sit in front of the lower teeth. Braces can correct both, but they require different mechanical strategies.
Dental vs. Skeletal Overbites
The first thing an orthodontist determines is whether your overbite is dental, skeletal, or a combination. A dental overbite means the teeth themselves are positioned incorrectly, but your jaws are aligned fine. A skeletal overbite means the jaw bones are the issue, often an underdeveloped lower jaw that sits too far back relative to the upper jaw. This distinction is classified as Class II malocclusion, where the upper teeth protrude significantly beyond the lower teeth due to jaw structure.
Braces alone can handle most dental overbites effectively. Skeletal overbites are trickier. In children and teens who are still growing, braces combined with growth-modifying appliances can guide jaw development. In adults whose bones have stopped growing, a severe skeletal overbite may need jaw surgery alongside braces. Mild to moderate skeletal cases, though, can often be camouflaged with braces by repositioning the teeth to compensate for the jaw discrepancy.
How Bone Remodeling Makes It Work
Braces don’t just shove teeth into place. They trigger a biological process called bone remodeling that allows teeth to move through solid bone without damaging it. When a bracket and wire apply pressure to a tooth, two things happen simultaneously on opposite sides of the tooth root.
On the pressure side, where the tooth is being pushed toward, the thin ligament connecting the tooth to the bone gets compressed. Within about three days, bone-dissolving cells activate and begin breaking down bone tissue in that area. This clearance creates space for the tooth to move into. The signals that kick off this process include a cascade of inflammatory molecules that recruit and activate these bone-dissolving cells.
On the tension side, where the ligament is being stretched, the opposite occurs. Stretch-sensitive cells detect the pulling force and trigger bone-building cells to lay down new bone, filling in the space the tooth is leaving behind. This ensures the tooth stays firmly anchored in its new position rather than loosening over time.
The cells that coordinate this entire process are osteocytes, which make up 90 to 95 percent of all bone cells. They act as the orchestrators, sensing mechanical forces and sending signals that tell the bone where to dissolve and where to build. This is why consistent, light pressure from braces works better than heavy force. The biology needs time to respond in a controlled way.
The Mechanical Tools Involved
Brackets and wires do the foundational work of aligning teeth, but fixing an overbite usually requires additional components. The most common addition is rubber bands (elastics) that you hook between your upper and lower braces. Class II elastics, the type used for overbites, typically stretch from the upper canine area to the lower molars. This angle pulls the upper teeth backward and the lower teeth forward, reducing the gap between arches and improving how they fit together.
Vertical elastics work differently. They connect upper and lower teeth in a straight up-and-down line, applying force that helps teeth settle into proper contact with each other. The angle and length of the elastic determines whether the force is more horizontal or vertical, and your orthodontist adjusts this throughout treatment as the bite changes.
For more significant overbites, especially in younger patients, fixed appliances that connect to the braces can push the lower jaw forward or restrain upper jaw growth. These work by applying continuous force to guide how the jaws grow relative to each other, something that’s only possible while the skeleton is still developing.
Why Age Matters
Overbite correction is possible at any age, but the approach and ease of treatment differ significantly based on skeletal maturity. In children and adolescents, the jaw bones are still growing, which gives orthodontists a biological advantage. They can influence the direction and amount of jaw growth using appliances alongside braces, essentially redirecting development rather than fighting against a finished skeleton.
Adults can still achieve excellent results, but treatment relies entirely on moving teeth within existing bone. The bone remodeling process works the same way regardless of age, so teeth move and the bone reshapes around them just fine. What changes is that the jaw itself won’t grow or reposition on its own. For adults with a severe skeletal overbite, surgical correction of the jaw combined with braces becomes the most reliable option. For mild to moderate cases, braces and elastics alone often produce a functional, stable result.
What the Timeline Looks Like
Most overbite corrections take between 18 months and 2 years with braces. Less complex cases, where the overbite is primarily dental and the teeth just need repositioning, can sometimes be finished in about 12 months. Factors that push treatment longer include the severity of the overbite, whether jaw discrepancy is involved, how much crowding needs to be resolved first, and how consistently you wear your elastics.
The process isn’t linear. Early months focus on aligning and leveling the teeth so they’re in a position where the bite can be corrected. The overbite correction phase itself, using elastics and wire adjustments, usually comes in the middle portion of treatment. The final months are spent fine-tuning how the teeth contact each other and settling everything into a stable position.
Keeping the Results After Braces
Deep overbites have a well-known tendency to relapse, meaning the teeth gradually drift back toward their original positions after braces come off. This is why retention is a critical part of overbite treatment, not an afterthought.
For corrected deep bites specifically, orthodontists often use a retainer with a built-in bite plate, a small raised platform behind the upper front teeth that prevents the lower teeth from over-erupting and recreating the deep overlap. The British Orthodontic Society recommends this type of retainer until facial growth is complete, which can mean wearing it into your early twenties if treatment happened during adolescence. Without disciplined retainer wear, the biological forces that created the overbite in the first place can slowly push teeth back toward their old positions, undoing months or years of treatment.