People often ask if clear aligners can treat their overbites. Here, our Amherstburg dentists explain what overbites are and how clear aligners might be able to fix them.
What Are Overbites?
An overbite (also referred to as a deep bite) is when your upper front teeth overlap with your lower front teeth. While most people have at least a little overbite (where the upper teeth extend over the bottom teeth by 2 to 4mm), it turns into a problem when it starts to cause issues such as jaw pain or wear on your teeth.
This starts to happen when the normal 2 to 4 mm is extended to 4 to 6mm or greater, at which point the condition will have to be corrected. You might hear your dentist describe overbites in terms of percentage. A range of 5 to 25 percent is ideal.
The vertical nature of an overbite distinguishes it from an overjet, which is horizontal and causes the upper teeth to protrude past the bottom teeth at an angle. But with an overbite, there's no angle as the upper teeth remain straight or downward.
How Overbites Can Be Corrected
When the upper teeth come down over the bottom teeth significantly, this condition should be treated to prevent cracking, excessive wear, or chipped teeth.
The most common cause of overbites is when the lower jaw is just a bit smaller than the upper jaw, so the lower teeth rest behind the upper teeth and move downwards as wear on your teeth occurs. You’ll notice more gum tends to show on your upper teeth, and your upper front teeth are situated slightly lower than the teeth beside them (canines, or upper side teeth).
Overbites can happen if a patient had a tongue-thrusting habit or was allowed to suck on an object - most often a thumb or pacifier - for too long as a child.
Chewing on objects like pens, erasers, or even habits like nail-biting can also cause this problem. We don't recommend using clear aligners to fix an overbite if it is caused by an underlying skeletal problem.
Why You Should Have Your Overbite Fixed
Your Oral Health
With an overbite, you have an increased chance of causing wear on your teeth because your teeth touch each other every time you open and close your mouth. In the long term, they get shorter and thinner.
Cosmetic Puposes
When you smile, your top teeth hide your bottom teeth and you may feel insecure or self-conscious flashing your grin for a photo, meeting new people, or socializing.
Clear Aligners For Fixing Overbites
Clear aligners can be used to correct mild or moderate overbites (if not caused by skeletal problems, which would likely require surgery) by applying continual pressure to the teeth.
Clear aligners can:
- Move your lower teeth downwards to where they should be
- Move your upper teeth upwards to where they should be
The pressure applied by your clear aligners will move your teeth into prescribed, corrected positions, leaving you with a straighter, more symmetrical smile. The clear aligners also move your gum at the same time, to keep the proportions in check.
You’ll need to wear your clear aligners for at least 22 hours per day, removing them to eat, drink and floss your teeth. The series of clear aligners will progressively shift your teeth, and you’ll switch to a new set about every 2 weeks. Your custom treatment plan may entail wearing as many as 26 trays, which equates to one tray every 2 weeks for one year.
Before you begin your treatment, your dentist will be able to show you a digital preview of how your new smile will look by the end of your treatment. The first step is to schedule a consultation with your dentist to find out if you are a candidate for clear aligners.