How to Fix an Overbite: Treatment Options for Kids and Adults

Editorially reviewed by the Dental.me Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

An overbite is one of the most common reasons people are told they need orthodontic treatment, but the word gets used loosely and the fixes range from a set of clear aligners to full jaw surgery. The right answer depends on what is causing the overbite, how severe it is, and whether the patient is a growing child or a fully grown adult. This guide walks through what an overbite actually is, when it is worth treating, and every realistic treatment option, so you can have an informed conversation with a dentist or orthodontist.

Overbite vs. Overjet: Getting the Terms Right

An overbite is a vertical problem: it describes how much your upper front teeth overlap your lower front teeth when your back teeth are closed together. A small overbite is completely normal and even desirable, roughly 10 to 30 percent of the lower teeth covered. It becomes a concern when the upper teeth cover most or all of the lowers, which orthodontists call a deep bite.

People often confuse this with an overjet, the horizontal gap where the upper front teeth stick out ahead of the lowers, the classic look people call buck teeth. The two can occur together, and in everyday conversation both get lumped under overbite. If you want a fuller breakdown of how these bite problems differ from underbites and crossbites, our guide to overbite, underbite, and crossbite lays them out side by side. For treatment planning, the distinction matters, because a deep vertical bite and a protruding horizontal bite are corrected with different mechanics.

Do You Actually Need to Fix an Overbite?

Not every overbite needs treatment. A mild deep bite that causes no symptoms and does not bother you cosmetically can often be left alone and simply monitored. It is the moderate to severe deep bites that tend to earn a treatment recommendation, because over years they can cause real problems:

• Tooth wear: lower front teeth can grind against the backs of the upper teeth, wearing down enamel.
• Gum and palate trauma: in deep bites the lower teeth may bite into the gum tissue behind the upper front teeth.
• Jaw and TMJ strain: a bite that forces the lower jaw backward can stress the jaw joints and muscles.
• Chewing and speech: severe cases can interfere with how efficiently you chew and, occasionally, how you speak.
• Appearance: a deep bite can make the chin look recessed and shorten the lower third of the face.

Treatment Options for an Overbite

Fixing an overbite means either moving the teeth, guiding jaw growth, or, in the most severe skeletal cases, repositioning the jaw itself. Here are the main tools orthodontists reach for.

Braces

Traditional braces are the workhorse for overbite correction. Because they attach firmly to every tooth, they can do things aligners struggle with, including intruding (pushing in) the front teeth to open a deep bite and precisely repositioning teeth. Understanding how braces work helps explain why they remain the default for complex bites. Braces are also the platform for the add-ons below.

Clear aligners

Clear aligners such as Invisalign are a strong choice for mild to moderate overbites, and modern systems can place bite ramps and use precision attachments to open a deep bite. They are removable and less visible, but very deep or skeletal bites can outrun what aligners do well. Our comparison of Invisalign versus braces covers the trade-offs in detail.

Bite ramps, blocks, and elastics

With braces or aligners, an orthodontist may add bite ramps or bite blocks behind the upper front teeth. These stop the back teeth from fully meeting, which lets them erupt slightly and levels a deep bite. Elastics (small rubber bands) are used to fine-tune how the upper and lower jaws relate to each other.

Growth-modification appliances (kids)

In children who are still growing, functional appliances can guide jaw development, for example encouraging a lagging lower jaw forward, so the bite corrects with growth rather than just tooth movement. Timing is everything here, and this only works while growth remains.

Extractions and jaw surgery

When crowded teeth are part of the picture, a tooth extraction sometimes creates the room needed to correct the bite. For severe skeletal overbites in adults, where the jawbones themselves are misaligned and teeth-only movement is not enough, orthognathic (jaw) surgery combined with braces may be the only way to achieve a stable, healthy result.

Kids vs. Adults: Why Timing Matters

The single biggest factor in how an overbite is treated is whether the patient is still growing. In children and early teens, an orthodontist can harness active jaw growth to guide the bones into better alignment, which is why some kids are treated in two phases and why early evaluation is encouraged.

Adults can absolutely fix an overbite, and millions do, but the toolkit shifts. Because growth is finished, a dental overbite (the teeth are tipped or over-erupted) can still be corrected with braces or aligners, while a true skeletal overbite may require surgery to move the jaw. If you are weighing treatment later in life, our guide to adult braces covers what to expect. The upside for adults: the mechanics are the same, results are predictable, and discreet options exist.

How an Orthodontist Chooses a Treatment

Behind the scenes, the treatment decision comes down to a few questions the orthodontist answers using records, X-rays, and often a 3D scan:

• Is it dental or skeletal? A dental overbite (tooth position) responds to braces or aligners; a skeletal overbite (jaw position) may need growth guidance in kids or surgery in adults.
• How much growth is left? This determines whether growth modification is even on the table.
• How severe is it, and are there symptoms? Wear, gum trauma, and jaw pain push toward treatment; a mild, symptom-free bite may just be watched.

The honest takeaway is that there is no single fix. Two people with a similar-looking overbite can end up with very different plans depending on the answers above.

Timelines, Retainers, and Cost

Most overbite corrections with braces or aligners take roughly 12 to 24 months, with deeper and more complex bites at the longer end. Two-phase treatment in children can stretch over several years with a break in between. Surgical cases add planning and recovery time.

Whatever the method, retainers are non-negotiable afterward. Deep bites in particular have a tendency to relapse, so wearing a retainer as directed, often nightly for the long term, is what keeps the correction from slowly undoing itself.

On cost, expect braces and clear aligners to land in a similar range for most cases, growth appliances for kids to cost less on their own (though they are frequently followed by braces), and jaw surgery to be substantially more expensive, often partly covered by medical insurance when it is medically necessary. Treat all figures as rough estimates, since geography, complexity, and insurance change the math significantly.

Can You Fix an Overbite Without Braces, or at Home?

Mild overbites can often be corrected with clear aligners instead of fixed braces, so “without braces” is realistic for the right cases. What is not realistic is fixing an overbite “naturally” at home. There are no exercises, mouth devices sold online, or DIY techniques that safely move teeth or reshape a jaw, and attempting it can cause permanent damage. Real correction requires a professional moving teeth or jaws under controlled forces.

When to See an Orthodontist

See a dentist or orthodontist if your upper teeth cover most of your lower teeth, if you notice worn front teeth or gum irritation behind the upper teeth, if you have jaw pain, or if the bite bothers you cosmetically. For children, the American Association of Orthodontists suggests a first orthodontic check by around age 7, when early bite issues are easiest to catch and guide. A consultation is the only way to learn whether your overbite is dental or skeletal, and which of the options above actually fits your situation.

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