Open Bite: Causes and Treatment Options
An open bite is a gap between the upper and lower teeth when the jaws close — usually at the front, occasionally at the back. Unlike many imperfect bites, it often needs treatment, because it gets in the way of biting and chewing.
Our Beverly Hills office at 414 N. Camden Dr., Suite 750 opens in January 2027. Until then, call (310) 444-5217 and we'll arrange your consultation.
What kind of bite do you have?
Most people's bites are imperfect, and most imperfect bites never need treatment. To see yours, close your teeth together. If the upper front teeth sit over the lower ones, that is an overbite; if they sit behind them, an underbite. If there is a space between the upper and lower teeth, that is an open bite.
Open bites are usually at the front of the mouth. More rarely the back teeth are the ones that do not meet — a posterior open bite.
What causes an open bite
Many open bites start in childhood with thumb-sucking or a pacifier, and resolve as the adult teeth come in. In adults, the usual causes are these:
- Tongue thrust — pushing the tongue forward when swallowing, which over time moves the front teeth outward.
- The way the jaws grew — the jaws can grow apart rather than parallel, which is often inherited.
- The teeth themselves — worn teeth, or crowns, bridges or an implant bridge built to the wrong height, can leave teeth that no longer meet.
Our Beverly Hills office at 414 N. Camden Dr., Suite 750 opens in January 2027. Until then, call (310) 444-5217 and we'll arrange your consultation.
How an open bite is treated
The treatment follows the cause. For a child, it may simply mean helping them leave a thumb-sucking or pacifier habit behind.
Where the teeth are out of position, orthodontics — braces or clear aligners — moves them into a bite that meets. How long that takes depends on the bite and the patient.
Where the jaws themselves are out of position, orthodontics alone cannot close the gap. Corrective jaw surgery (orthognathic surgery), performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, repositions one or both jaws, and orthodontics then finishes the bite. It is a significant operation, and it is weighed against its alternatives with the surgeon before it is chosen.
When the teeth need rebuilding
Where worn or previously restored teeth are part of the problem, the bite is planned before anything is rebuilt: where the teeth should meet, and how the jaw joints and muscles will tolerate it. Dr. Reshad plans that bite, and coordinates with the orthodontist and surgeon where tooth movement or jaw surgery is part of the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always — a child's open bite often closes as the adult teeth come in. In adults, an open bite usually does warrant treatment because it interferes with biting and chewing. An examination shows whether the cause is the teeth, the jaws or a habit.
When the cause is the position of the teeth, yes — orthodontics, and in some cases rebuilding worn or poorly restored teeth, can close it. When the jaws themselves grew apart, surgery is usually needed alongside orthodontics.
Written from Dr. Reshad's lectures and articles · Reviewed by Dr. Mamaly Reshad, DDS, MSc (Distinction), FICD, MICOI, Prosthodontist, Beverly Hills · Last reviewed
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