Overbite is one of the most misused words in dentistry. Strictly, it describes how far the upper front teeth overlap the lower ones vertically when you close: a couple of millimetres is normal and helps guide the jaw. In everyday speech, though, people use it for upper teeth that stick out forwards, which dentists call overjet, and the two often occur together. On this page we cover the deep bite proper, where the upper incisors cover most or all of the lower ones, sometimes so far that the lower teeth bite into the gum behind the upper front teeth or the upper teeth strike the lower gum. A deep bite is common, frequently harmless and, in many people, needs nothing more than monitoring. It becomes a problem when the lower incisors wear a groove in the palate, when the upper teeth are chipping or wearing rapidly from the heavy contact, when the gum behind the upper teeth is being stripped, or when it is contributing to jaw muscle discomfort. Our Wimpole Street orthodontic assessment sorts out which type you have and whether treatment is worthwhile.
Lower front teeth hidden when you smile with the teeth together
The upper incisors cover more than half of the lower ones, sometimes all of them.
Sore or indented gum behind the upper front teeth
The lower incisors are biting into the palate tissue.
Worn, flattened or chipped edges on the incisors
The steep overlap loads the front teeth heavily on every closure.
Gum recession on the front of the lower incisors
The upper teeth strike the lower gum and gradually strip it back.
A short lower face and deep folds at the corners of the mouth
The jaws close further than they would with a normal overlap.
Tired jaw muscles or morning tenderness
A deep bite can lock the jaw into one position and encourage clenching.
A deep bite mostly comes from how the face grew: a strong, square jaw pattern with a short lower face, or front teeth that simply erupted further than the back teeth. It runs in families and is usually present by the early teens.
If the back teeth are short, worn or missing, the front teeth keep erupting until something stops them. The lower incisors rise and the upper incisors drop, deepening the bite over time.
Molars maintain the height of the bite. When several are missing and not replaced, the jaws close further and the front teeth take on the load. This is the commonest reason a deep bite worsens in adulthood.
Years of bruxism shorten the back teeth, and as they wear the bite collapses, the front teeth over-erupt to stay in contact, and the overlap deepens. Grinding also concentrates wear on the front teeth themselves.
When the upper front teeth tip backwards rather than forwards, they trap the lower incisors behind them. This variant can restrict the lower jaw from moving forward and is linked with muscle discomfort in some people.
These are holding measures, not a substitute for an examination. Use any pain relief exactly as directed on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
We measure the overlap, check where the lower incisors land, assess wear, gum health and the jaw joints, and take a digital scan and X-rays. Many deep bites need no treatment; we say so when that is the case.
About this treatmentAligners can intrude over-erupted front teeth and, with bite ramps built into the plastic, allow the back teeth to erupt slightly, levelling the bite. Well suited to mild and moderate deep bites in adults.
About this treatmentFor deeper bites, retroclined incisors or when other movements are needed, brackets offer more precise control over the vertical position of each tooth.
About this treatmentImplants, bridges or dentures restore the posterior support that keeps the bite open. Where wear has been extensive, worn back teeth may be built up with onlays or crowns at a corrected height.
About this treatmentChipped and shortened incisors are rebuilt with composite bonding or ceramic once the bite has been made safe for them, so the repairs are not immediately re-broken.
About this treatmentWhere grinding is driving the wear, a custom splint protects the front teeth and reduces muscle load while longer-term options are considered.
About this treatmentAn orthodontic consultation at Wimpole Street with a scan and photographs is expected to be £95. Clear aligner treatment to correct a deep bite is indicative from £2,950, with complex cases involving bite levelling and intrusion quoted higher after planning. A night guard is £795.
Where missing back teeth are the cause, replacement is priced per tooth: an implant with crown from £2,950, a bridge from £995 per unit, or a partial denture from £795. Rebuilding worn front teeth with composite bonding is from £395 per tooth, and onlays or crowns to restore back-tooth height are £995 each. A full written plan and sequence is provided before anything starts.
Figures are indicative prices for Wimpole Street and are confirmed in a written plan once a dentist has examined you. Fees match our South Kensington and St Paul's clinics.
Leave your details and we will be in touch when the Marylebone diary opens. If the problem cannot wait, the same clinicians are already seeing patients in South Kensington and at St Paul's.
Related conditions
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
