Bite blockers are small pads of material bonded to specific teeth during orthodontic treatment. They serve two purposes: correcting a misaligned bite and protecting your braces from damage. By keeping your upper and lower teeth from fully coming together, they create the space your orthodontist needs to move teeth safely and effectively.
How Bite Blockers Work
When you have braces, certain bite problems can cause your teeth to clamp down directly onto the brackets on the opposite arch. This can pop brackets off, bend wires, and even chip tooth enamel. Bite blockers solve this by acting as small ramps or platforms that keep a gap between your upper and lower teeth. The material is a moldable acrylic plastic that shapes to the surface of your teeth and prevents contact with the brackets.
Your orthodontist will place them on either the back of your front teeth or on the chewing surfaces of your molars, depending on where the interference is happening. Once in place, only the bite blockers touch when you close your mouth, which means your back teeth (or front teeth) hover slightly apart. That hovering is the whole point: it protects the hardware and allows your teeth to shift into new positions without obstruction.
Conditions They Treat
Bite blockers are most commonly used for deep bites and overbites, where the upper front teeth overlap the lower teeth so much that they press against the lower brackets. They’re also used in crossbite correction and any situation where one set of teeth risks biting into the braces on the opposing arch.
Beyond bracket protection, bite blockers actively contribute to bite correction through a biomechanical effect. When placed on the front teeth, they encourage slight intrusion of the lower front teeth (pushing them gently up into the gums) while allowing the back teeth to erupt slightly further. This combination helps open up a deep bite over time. A comparison of treatment methods found that bite turbos correct overbites through this back-tooth extrusion effect, while archwires alone tend to tip the lower front teeth forward instead. In other words, bite blockers and wires fix deep bites through different mechanics, and orthodontists often use both together.
Posterior bite blockers, placed on the back teeth, serve a different purpose. They’re sometimes used in growing children with skeletal open bites. These blocks redirect the force of the chewing muscles into the molar region, preventing excessive vertical growth in that area and encouraging the lower jaw to rotate forward and upward. Research has shown that this approach successfully corrects open bites, while untreated patients see their open bites worsen as the jaw continues to grow downward and backward.
What They Feel Like
The first few days with bite blockers are the hardest. Because your back teeth no longer touch, chewing feels strange and inefficient. Many people describe the sensation as biting on a small bump that keeps their mouth from closing all the way. Speaking can feel awkward at first, particularly if the blocks are placed behind the front teeth, but most people adapt within a few days to a week.
Soreness is normal. Your teeth and jaw muscles need time to adjust to the new bite position, and you may notice some tenderness in your jaw joint as your muscles recalibrate. This discomfort typically fades as your body adapts.
Eating With Bite Blockers
For the first several days, soft foods are your best option. Mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, pasta, applesauce, smoothies, yogurt, and soft meats all work well. Because your back teeth can’t fully come together, biting through anything hard or crunchy takes more effort and can be uncomfortable. As you get used to the blocks, you’ll gradually figure out how to chew more normally, though some foods (like biting into a whole apple) may stay difficult for the duration of treatment.
Sticky or very hard foods remain off-limits for the same reasons they’re restricted with braces generally. They can loosen or dislodge the blocks.
How Long You’ll Wear Them
Bite blockers are temporary. For many people, they stay in place for 6 to 9 months, though your timeline could be shorter or longer depending on how quickly your bite corrects. As your teeth move and your bite opens up, the blocks naturally start to feel less prominent because your other teeth are shifting into positions where they can make contact again. Once your orthodontist confirms the bite has improved enough, the blocks are removed or simply wear down to the point where they’re no longer needed.
What to Do if One Falls Off
Bite blockers can occasionally come loose or fall off, especially if you bite into something hard. If this happens, check whether your teeth are now hitting any brackets when you close your mouth. If they are, call your orthodontist promptly. Teeth grinding against a bracket can wear down enamel quickly. If everything feels fine and no brackets are being contacted, it may be safe to wait until your next scheduled appointment, but calling to confirm is still a good idea. Your orthodontist can reapply the block in a quick visit if needed.