Reducing an overbite requires orthodontic treatment, and the right approach depends on whether the issue is with your teeth, your jaw, or both. A normal overbite is 1 to 2 millimeters of overlap between your upper and lower front teeth. Anything significantly beyond that range is considered excessive and can be corrected with braces, clear aligners, functional appliances, or in severe cases, surgery.
What Type of Overbite You’re Dealing With
Not all overbites have the same cause, and the cause determines which treatments will work. A dental overbite means the teeth themselves are angled or positioned incorrectly, but the jaw bones are properly aligned. This is the easier type to fix because moving the teeth into better positions is usually enough.
A skeletal overbite means the lower jaw is undersized or set too far back relative to the upper jaw. In orthodontic terms, this is a Class II relationship, where the upper teeth sit significantly forward of the lower teeth because the jaw itself is underdeveloped. Skeletal overbites are harder to correct in adults because the jaw has stopped growing, which limits what braces alone can accomplish. In children and teens, the jaw is still developing, so appliances that guide jaw growth can make a real difference.
Braces and How They Correct Overbite
Traditional metal braces remain one of the most effective tools for overbite correction. They use a combination of brackets, wires, and elastic bands to reposition teeth and adjust how the upper and lower arches meet. For a mild overbite, braces typically take 12 to 18 months. Moderate to severe cases run 18 to 36 months depending on complexity.
Elastics (rubber bands) are often the key component for overbite correction with braces. You’ll hook them from your upper teeth to your lower teeth in a specific pattern that gradually pulls the lower jaw forward or the upper teeth back. Wearing them consistently matters: skipping hours each day can add months to your treatment.
Ceramic braces work the same way but use tooth-colored brackets. Lingual braces attach behind the teeth, making them invisible from the front. Both handle overbites effectively, though lingual braces cost considerably more.
Clear Aligners for Overbite
Clear aligners can correct mild to moderate overbites, and newer designs have expanded what they can treat. Some systems use built-in bite ramps, small ridges molded into the aligners behind the upper front teeth, that train the lower jaw into a more forward position as you bite down. For teens whose jaws are still growing, precision wings on the aligners can gradually advance the lower jaw forward, improving both bite and chin appearance.
Timelines with clear aligners tend to be slightly shorter for mild cases (6 to 12 months) and comparable for moderate ones (12 to 18 months). Severe overbites may take 18 to 24 months with aligners, and some cases will need supplemental tools like elastics or attachments bonded to the teeth. Aligners require 20 to 22 hours of daily wear to stay on schedule.
Functional Appliances for Children and Teens
If you’re researching overbite correction for a child, functional appliances are worth knowing about. These devices work by harnessing natural jaw growth to bring the lower jaw forward, something that’s only possible before the bones finish developing, typically between ages 9 and 14.
The Herbst appliance is one of the most common. It’s a fixed device with metal arms that connect the upper and lower jaws and hold the lower jaw in a forward position. Over time, the bone adapts and grows into that new alignment. The Twin Block is a removable alternative that uses two interlocking bite plates to achieve a similar effect. Treatment with these devices usually lasts 9 to 12 months, followed by a phase of braces or aligners to fine-tune tooth alignment.
Starting treatment during this growth window can sometimes eliminate the need for jaw surgery later. Once growth is complete, these appliances lose their effectiveness because the bone is no longer malleable enough to reshape with positioning alone.
When Surgery Becomes Necessary
Jaw surgery, called orthognathic surgery, enters the picture when the overbite is skeletal and too severe for braces or aligners to compensate. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons outlines general thresholds: a horizontal overjet of 5 millimeters or more (the normal is 2 mm), a deep overbite that causes the lower teeth to dig into the gum tissue of the upper arch, or a molar relationship discrepancy of 4 millimeters or more.
Surgery repositions the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both, and is almost always combined with orthodontic treatment before and after the procedure. The total timeline, including pre-surgical braces and post-surgical refinement, spans 18 to 24 months or longer. Recovery from the surgery itself typically takes several weeks before you can return to normal activities, with full bone healing over a few months.
Mini-Screws as a Non-Surgical Alternative
Temporary anchorage devices, tiny titanium screws placed into the jawbone, have given orthodontists a way to move teeth that was previously difficult without surgery. For certain overbite patterns, these screws provide a fixed anchor point that lets the orthodontist push molars upward into the bone (intrusion) or pull them backward. Research published in the European Journal of Dentistry showed that mini-plates used as anchors achieved up to 4 millimeters of true molar intrusion, which rotated the bite plane and improved overbite by an average of nearly 5 millimeters.
The screws are placed under local anesthesia and removed once treatment is complete. They’re not appropriate for every case, but they’ve expanded the range of overbites that can be corrected without jaw surgery.
What Happens If You Leave It Untreated
A significant overbite isn’t purely cosmetic. When upper and lower teeth don’t meet properly, certain teeth absorb more force than they’re designed for. Research on dental patients found that children with a Class II bite (the pattern associated with overbite) had 1.8 times the prevalence of moderate to severe tooth wear compared to those with normal alignment. Among adults in the same study, one in two had four or more teeth with visible wear. While wear has many causes, a misaligned bite accelerates it.
Deep overbites can also cause the lower front teeth to contact the gum tissue behind the upper teeth, leading to irritation or recession over time. Some people with untreated overbites develop jaw pain or clicking, though the relationship between bite alignment and jaw joint disorders is more complex than often assumed.
Does Mewing or Jaw Exercise Work?
Mewing, the practice of pressing your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth to reshape your jaw, has gained popularity on social media. There is no scientific evidence that it corrects an overbite. The technique comes from a branch of practice called orthotropics, whose founder had his dental license revoked by the General Dental Council. All claims about mewing’s effectiveness come from social media, with no peer-reviewed research supporting it as an alternative to orthodontic treatment or surgery.
Costs for Different Treatment Options
Overbite correction costs vary widely based on the method and severity:
- Metal braces: $3,000 to $7,000
- Ceramic braces: $4,000 to $8,000
- Lingual braces: $8,000 to $10,000
- Clear aligners: $4,000 to $7,400
Jaw surgery adds significantly to total cost, often ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 before insurance. Many dental insurance plans cover a portion of orthodontic treatment, particularly for children, and most orthodontists offer payment plans that spread costs over the length of treatment.
Keeping Your Results After Treatment
Retainers are non-negotiable after overbite correction. Teeth have a strong tendency to drift back toward their original positions, and overbite relapse is well documented. A study in the Journal of Dentistry found that even with fixed retainers (a wire bonded behind the front teeth), about 16% of patients experienced relapse during follow-up. The researchers concluded that fixed retainers alone may not be enough to maintain results, and that additional retainer types may be needed to control the vertical dimension of the bite.
Most orthodontists prescribe full-time retainer wear for the first several months after treatment, then transition to nighttime wear. Many recommend wearing a retainer at night indefinitely. Skipping retainer wear, especially in the first year, is the single most common reason people lose the correction they spent months or years achieving.