According to Invisalign, “An overbite is when your upper front teeth overlap with your lower front teeth. Most people have at least a little overbite.” The measurement or extent of overlapping of the upper anterior teeth upon lower anterior teeth is what is really important to consider. You may hear someone say something like, “my dentist says I have an overbite”, but there’s nothing technically wrong with that. In fact, if you do not have any overbite at all, it would mean your front teeth don’t overlap each other at all when you bite down –  in which case you may have an open bite.  

When does an overbite become a problem?

Problems secondary to “overbite” issues can occur when you have one of either extreme – too little overbite (open bite) or excessive overbite (when the upper and lower anterior teeth overlap too much). 

For people with an excessive overbite, mechanical damage and wear can occur on anterior teeth to the point that they become weak and appear thin or chipped. 

What to do if you think you have an overbite:

Step 1: Visit your dentist! As we said, most people have an overbite, so chances are you don’t need to worry. A dentist is the only person who should be determining if your overbite is a problem or not.

If your dentist determines that your overbite is an issue or risk to your health, there are common treatments that can fix this. In simple cases, an excessive overbite can be mitigated with the use of Invisalign treatment. 

Can you fix an overbite from home?

Patients often ask, “Can an overbite can be treated at home without the supervision of a dentist?” Unfortunately, fixing an overbite is not simple, and requires professional treatment and can take several months.

Though every case differs in complexity, a dentist or orthodontist will typically do a workup to consider all aspects of a patient’s dentition when planning the treatment. Likewise, sometimes it is necessary to add attachments to teeth or create space between teeth for the specific tooth movement. If these things aren’t considered and implemented, it is questionable how predictable and effective the treatment can be.

Do you think you have an overbite? Schedule a consultation with us today to find out!