You may already be familiar with common types of malocclusions or teeth misalignments. These include the overbite, underbite, and crossbite. But have you heard about deep bites?
If you have a deep bite, you’ll find your top front teeth significantly overlap with your bottom front teeth. This type of dental misalignment can damage your teeth and jaw, making it hard to bite and chew properly. It also makes for a less-than-perfect smile, which can lead to insecurities about your appearance and a general lack of confidence.
Learn more about deep bite below, including what it is, how it differs from overbites, causes, treatment, and more.
What is a deep bite?
As indicated by its alternate names, such as excessive or deep overbite, a deep bite is a malocclusion where your upper teeth significantly or even completely cover your bottom teeth.
This can change the shape of your face, cause chronic jaw pain and headaches and make you more prone to gum and tooth damage. The wear and tear takes a huge toll on your teeth, as your front and back teeth often hit each other while eating, speaking, or resting.
Deep bite is more common than you might think. A Dentistry Journal (Basel) study that looked at the occurrence of different types of malocclusions in regions around the world found as many as one in four individuals may have a deep overbite. However, various studies saw crossbites in as little as one in 7 or even one in 50 people.
Treatment of deep bites usually includes either teeth straightening orthodontic measures or surgery to fix issues with your jaw.
Deep bite vs overbite
You’d be correct in thinking that a deep bite sounds similar to an overbite. The two terms are often used interchangeably. While mild overbites aren’t usually a cause for concern, they need monitoring so they don’t worsen into deep bites. Thus, the main distinction to keep in mind is that not all overbites can be considered deep bites.
How a deep bite changes your face
Because an overbite generally has your top teeth protruding over the bottom row, this can mean a weaker jaw. It can also contribute to making your cheeks look hollow or sunken, which is a typical sign of ageing – so correcting your deep bite could potentially have you looking years younger.
In some cases, a deep bite can cause face changes where the shape of your face shortens or becomes rounder.
Deep bite causes
There are three types of deep overbite – skeletal, dentoalveolar and a combination of the two. A skeletal deep bite is caused by the way your bones grow. It usually means a misalignment between the bones in your maxilla (which comprises your upper jaw, the roof of your mouth, the lower part of your eye socket, and part of your nose) and the mandible (lower jaw). The way soft tissue conforms to this malocclusion can lead to ‘short face syndrome’ or SFS.
A dental alveolar deep bite is caused by a dental malformation. It can develop because your upper teeth elongate more than normal or protrude too far. This type of deep bite may have minimal effects on your face shape.
While a deep bite can usually be traced to malformations of the teeth or jaw, especially as a part of natural growth, certain bad habits can cause it to worsen faster than it otherwise would. These include:
- Thumb-sucking and tongue-thrusting can put pressure on your upper teeth, especially as they grow, causing them to protrude.
- Nail-biting also puts pressure on your teeth, pulling them forward.
- Poor oral hygiene can lead to damaged or diseased gums or teeth, so it’s best to brush your teeth and floss regularly and with the proper technique.
- An unhealthy diet, as failing to eat healthy can weaken your teeth, leaving them vulnerable and open to conditions that lead to loss or necessary extraction. In turn, the tooth gap allows for more dental shifting.
In babies, frequent stomach sleeping can lead to a deep overbite or other malocclusions later due to the pressure on the infant’s jaw, so the Journal of Anatomy recommends parents watch for this behaviour.
How to fix a deep bite
Preventing a mild overbite from developing into a deep bite is preferable to having to fix the problem. Good dental hygiene, a healthy diet with minimal sweets and acidic food, and stopping the bad habits listed above will go a long way to keeping your teeth aligned.
However, once a deep bite has been diagnosed, orthodontic correction will be the most likely solution. At your next appointment, consult your dentist about what kind of teeth alignment works best for your lifestyle and preferences. Common corrections for overbite include:
Braces
Whether you go for metal or clear ones, these provide the same benefit for correcting an extreme overbite by applying constant pressure to the teeth, moving them slowly into the correct position.
Clear aligners
Clear aligners are the way to go if you prefer something more discreet and removable. Thanks to advances in orthodontic science and technology, transparent aligners are a great alternative to traditional braces. You wear them over the teeth and they apply pressure to move your pearly whites into the correct alignment.
Modern invisible dental aligners like ClearCorrect offer maximum comfort and aesthetics without compromising the success of your teeth alignment treatment. ClearCorrect features cutting-edge engineering, and its aligners boast a high, flat, unscalloped trim line and use of a resilient tri-layer ClearQuartz material. Try this smile assessment to see if you’re a candidate for ClearCorrect.
And the best part is, you don’t need to struggle with brushing or flossing techniques or avoid certain foods, because these aligners are meant to be removed when eating and performing your daily dental health routine.
Surgery
As your deep bite may be caused by skeletal issues with your upper or lower jaw, surgery may be required to straighten your smile. Your dentist or orthodontist may call in a dental surgeon for this, should it be required.
Benefits of fixing a deep bite
Fixing a deep bite helps eliminate the risks the malocclusion brings. So, by correcting the alignment of your teeth, you’ll also prevent tooth and gum damage and improve chewing and possibly your speech.
You’ll also prevent other dental and orthodontic issues from developing or worsening, saving you time, effort, money and discomfort from future treatments.
So yes, correcting that deep bite has a deeper effect. It gets you closer to a perfect smile, the ultimate confidence booster.
References:
American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). (n.d.) Understanding deep bites: Causes, concerns, and corrections. AAOinfo.org
Australian Society of Orthodontists. (18 December 2023). What is an ideal bite? Orthodontics Australia
Australian Society of Orthodontists. (26 June 2024). What’s the difference between an overbite and an overjet? Orthodontics Australia
Cenzato, N., Nobili, A. and Maspero, C. (October 2021) Prevalence of Dental Malocclusions in Different Geographical Areas: Scoping Review. Dentistry Journal (Basel), 9(10): 117.
Coquerelle, M., Prados-Frutos, J. C., Benazzi, S., Bookstein, F. L., Senck, S., Mitteroecker, P., & Weber, G. (November 2012). Infant growth patterns of the mandible in modern humans: a closer exploration of the developmental interactions between the symphyseal bone, the teeth, and the suprahyoid and tongue muscle insertion sites. Journal of Anatomy, 222(2), 178–192.
Watted, N., Lone, I.M., Zohud, O., Midlej, K., Proff, P. and Iraqi, F.A. Comprehensive Deciphering the Complexity of the Deep Bite: Insight from Animal Model to Human Subjects. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 13(10): 1472.
