Orthodontic Conditions

Overbite

Overbite is the amount of vertical overlap of the upper and lower front teeth when the back teeth are biting together. In some cases there may be little or no lower teeth showing. Ideally the upper front teeth should overlap the lower teeth by 2-3mm.

An unusual overbite may result from a variety of factors: hereditary factors or individual growth pattern; environmental influences such as thumb sucking, mouth breathing, premature loss of deciduous (baby) teeth or lack of contact between the upper and lower front teeth may affect the amount of overbite present.