OVERBITE TREATMENT IN ZIONSVILLE, INDIANA
Deep Bite Correction for Kids, Teens, and Adults
A little overlap between your upper and lower front teeth is normal and healthy. Too much overlap or excess overbite is called a deep bite, and it can wear down enamel, irritate your gums, strain your jaw joints, and change the balance of your face and smile over time. The good news is that overbite is a common and treatable problem in orthodontics, and you don’t have to travel far. At Godley Family Orthodontics in Zionsville, Dr. Godley and Dr. Bradley are both board-certified orthodontists who treat overbites for patients from Zionsville, Whitestown, Carmel, and across Indianapolis.
What is an Overbite?
An overbite refers to the vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the lower front teeth. A small overbite is normal and protective, but when the upper teeth excessively cover the lower ones (often more than 3–4 millimeters) it’s considered a deep bite. In severe cases the lower teeth disappear entirely behind the uppers, and the lower incisor edges may actually contact the roof of the mouth.
An excessive overbite—also called a deep bite—can make chewing uncomfortable, accelerate tooth wear, and even affect facial balance. Fortunately, if you are seeking overbite treatment near Zionsville, IN, you have modern and comfortable solutions at Godley Family Orthodontics.
Many people who say “overbite” actually mean overjet. An exam tells us exactly what’s happening in both directions, which is why a diagnosis matters. Understanding whether you have an overbite or overjet is important to receiving the right care. A skilled orthodontist who treats overbite can give an accurate diagnosis.
What Causes Overbite?
An overbite is when the top front teeth overlap the bottom front teeth more than they should. There isn’t just one cause—it can happen for a few different reasons. Sometimes it’s simply genetic, meaning the way your jaws and teeth are shaped has been passed down from family members. Other times, an overbite can develop because of changes in the bite, like when teeth are missing. If certain teeth aren’t there to support your bite, the others can shift out of place over time, making the overlap between the top and bottom teeth bigger than normal. Oral habits can also influence an overbite. Uneven jaw growth—where the upper jaw grows faster than the lower jaw—can also create more overlap of the front teeth.
Overbites rarely come from a single source. The most common contributors we see are:
- Genetics and jaw growth. The size, shape, and growth direction of your jaws are largely inherited. When the upper jaw grows more than the lower jaw, or when the lower face grows short and square rather than long, the front teeth end up overlapping more.
- Missing or worn back teeth. Your molars act like the posts holding up a tent. Lose them or wear them down, and the bite collapses — the front teeth over-erupt and the overlap deepens. This is why deep bites often get worse with age.
- Clenching and grinding. Chronic bruxism flattens the back teeth over years, allowing the bite to close down in front.
- Tooth position and eruption: Some deep bites develop because certain front or back teeth erupt or are positioned in ways that increase the vertical overlap between the upper and lower teeth.
Understanding why the overbite developed is what allows us to fix it in a way that stays fixed. Whatever the cause, orthodontic treatment can guide the teeth and jaws into a healthier position — improving how your smile looks while protecting your teeth from uneven wear and restoring how your bite works. Dr. Godley and Dr. Bradley are both board-certified orthodontists, and they’ll walk you through your options.
What Happens If an Overbite Goes Untreated?
An untreated overbite can lead to more than cosmetic concerns. Left alone, it can contribute to a range of issues, including:
- Tooth wear. The most common finding. Once enamel is gone it does not grow back, and restoring worn incisors is far more expensive than moving them.
- Gum recession and tissue damage. In deep bites, the lower incisors can bite into the tissue behind the upper front teeth, and the upper teeth can traumatize the gums in front of the lower teeth.
- Chipping and fracture of teeth. And failure of bonding, veneers, or crowns placed on teeth carrying too much force.
- Jaw joint strain. And TMJ symptoms, including clicking, soreness, morning tightness, and headaches.
- Changes in facial proportions. In severe overbites where the bite closes significantly, the lower portion of the face may appear shortened and the lips can look more compressed when the teeth are together. These severe deep bites can be associated with reduced lower facial height and changes in dental and facial proportions.
CORRECTING OVERBITE
How to Fix an Overbite: Treatment Options
When it comes to treatment options, you may be comparing braces vs Invisalign for overbite in Zionsville, IN. Both braces and clear aligners can be effective for correcting a deep bite. The best treatment depends on the cause and severity of the overbite, the patient’s age and growth, and the specific tooth and bite movements required.
Treatment options for overbite include:
Braces
Traditional braces and clear braces can precisely reposition the teeth and level a deep bite. Because braces are fixed to each tooth, we have three-dimensional control and can intrude the front teeth or level the bite in ways that are difficult to achieve otherwise. Braces work for mild, moderate, and severe overbites, in children and adults alike. Depending on the patient’s age, growth, and jaw relationships, braces may also be combined with elastics, bite turbos or ramps, growth-guidance appliances, or other orthodontic mechanics to improve the bite.
Clear Aligners (Invisalign®)
Invisalign and other clear aligner systems can correct an overbite, and they do it well when the case is planned properly. Combined with engineered attachments, aligners can produce excellent deep bite correction. Success depends on the orthodontist designing the sequence of tooth movements and monitoring the progress. Depending on the patient’s age, growth, and jaw relationships, aligners may be combined with elastics, bite turbos or ramps, growth-guidance appliances, or other orthodontic mechanics to correct the bite.
Growth Guidance
While the jaws are still growing in younger patients, we have options that simply don’t exist later. Growth guidance appliances can influence how the lower jaw develops, which is far more efficient than compensating with tooth movement after growth is finished.
Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs)
For adult patients with significant deep bites, small temporary anchors may be placed in the bone that allow us to intrude front teeth predictably without unwanted tooth movement elsewhere. TADs have made many adult cases correctable without surgery.
Elastics (Rubber Bands)
Used in conjunction with braces or aligners to help adjust the position of the teeth and improve bite function.
Bite Turbos (Bite ramps, Occlusal Turbos)
Small accessories or raised areas placed on certain teeth—or built into aligners—to temporarily prevent the upper and lower teeth from fully biting together. This creates room for crowded or deeply overlapping teeth to move without interfering with one another. In deep-bite treatment, bite ramps or turbos can help “open” the bite so the front teeth are no longer hitting too heavily. This gives the orthodontist room to reposition the teeth, reduce overlap, and gradually improve how the upper and lower teeth fit together.
Tooth Extractions or Jaw Surgery
A small number of adult patients have a skeletal discrepancy severe enough that moving teeth alone can’t produce a healthy, stable result. In those cases we coordinate with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for orthognathic surgery, with orthodontic treatment before and after to align the teeth.
When to seek treatment for overbite
Orthodontists recommend children have an evaluation by age 7, even if no obvious problems are apparent. Early evaluation allows the orthodontist to monitor jaw development and tooth eruption.
However, it’s never too late to treat a deep bite—many adults in their 40s, 50s, and beyond achieve excellent results with modern orthodontic treatment.
How we Evaluate Overbite at Godley Family Orthodontics
Board-certified orthodontists, Dr. Godley and Dr. Bradley, perform an evaluation of your bite, teeth, and jaws. They evaluate the amount of incisor overlap, smile arc, tooth display, incisor inclination, facial proportions, skeletal pattern, remaining growth, crowding, tooth wear, and periodontal health. If there is an overbite concern, they also evaluate whether the problem is dental, skeletal, or a combination. Dr. Godley and Dr. Bradley value patient education and will explain how the diagnosis may affect the treatment approach. Selecting an experienced orthodontist is key to achieving the best results in treating overbite. At Godley Family Orthodontics, Dr. Godley and Dr. Bradley specialize in customized treatment plans that enhance both dental function and facial aesthetics. With advanced training and expertise, our team is committed to delivering lasting, effective results.
Step 1 — Consultation and exam. Our orthodontists will evaluate your teeth, bite, jaw relationships, facial proportions, smile, and growth. They look at your smile, bite, jaw joints, gum health, facial proportions, and how your jaw moves. They also often screen for headaches, jaw soreness, tooth sensitivity, snoring, chewing difficulty.
Step 2 — Imaging. Digital records and imaging help determine whether the overbite is related to tooth position, jaw relationships, or a combination of these. We use a digital intraoral scanner and low-dose digital radiographs to measure the overbite precisely, see the roots and bone, and evaluate the jaw relationship.
Step 3 — Diagnosis and plan. We determine whether your deep bite is dental (the teeth are positioned wrong), skeletal (the jaws themselves are the issue), or a combination. That distinction is important, and it’s the reason two patients with similar-looking smiles can need very different treatment.
Step 4 — Your options, explained. You’ll leave knowing what’s happening, what we’d recommend, roughly how long it will take, and what it costs. Consultations at Godley Family Orthodontics are complimentary and carry no obligation.
How do Braces Fix an Overbite?
Braces can correct an excessive overbite by precisely controlling the position of the upper and lower teeth and improving how the bite fits together. The exact mechanics depend on what is causing the deep bite.
Your orthodontist may use a combination of:
- Brackets and wires to guide individual teeth into healthier positions
- Elastics (rubber bands) to help improve how teeth fit together
- Bite turbos (bite ramps) to provide room for bite correction
- Specialized orthodontic appliances or mechanics to intrude, upright, or reposition certain teeth when needed
At Godley Family Orthodontics, the position of the braces and the mechanics used during deep bite treatment are carefully planned by our Board-Certified Orthodontists and based on each patient’s unique anatomy and treatment goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two people can have overbites that look similar but require very different treatment. A proper diagnosis from an orthodontist is important in order to evaluate where the deep bite is coming from—including the positions of the teeth, tooth eruption, jaw relationships, facial balance, growth, and the amount of tooth and gum display when talking and smiling. The goal is not simply to make the teeth look straighter. It is to create a balanced bite while considering dental health, smile esthetics, function, facial harmony, and stability.
Correcting an overbite can sometimes influence the appearance of the smile, lips, and lower facial proportions, but the amount of visible change varies considerably from person to person. It depends on factors such as age, growth, the underlying cause of the overbite, tooth movements, jaw relationships, and the type of treatment being performed.
Orthodontic treatment that primarily moves the teeth generally produces only subtle facial changes, versus treatment involving significant growth modification or jaw surgery. During your consultation, your orthodontist can explain what changes are realistically expected for your individual treatment plan.
Some patients with misaligned bites also experience jaw-joint or muscle symptoms, although TMJ disorders have multiple causes and correcting an overbite does not guarantee resolution of jaw pain.
Looking for an orthodontist to address overbite and explore your options?
Visit us for a free smile consultation!
Written and reviewed by Danielle N. Godley, DDS, MS and Sydney Bradley, DDS, MSD — ABO Board-Certified Orthodontists. Last reviewed September, 2026.