What a deep bite is, and how it differs from an overbite
Your bite has an up-and-down dimension as well as a front-to-back one, and a deep bite is a matter of the up-and-down: how far the upper front teeth come down over the lower ones when you close. A small overlap is exactly what you want, because it protects the lower teeth. It becomes a deep bite when the uppers cover most or even all of the lowers, sometimes so far that the lower front teeth touch the gum behind the top teeth. Over the years that heavy overlap tends to wear the biting edges of the lower teeth and can leave the front teeth prone to chipping.
You will often hear a deep bite called an overbite, and in everyday conversation the two words get used for the same thing. It is worth separating them, because they are measured in different directions. A deep bite is about how far down the upper teeth sit over the lower ones. An overbite, in the way most people use the word, can also mean how far the upper teeth stick out in front, which orthodontists call an overjet. Our overbite page covers that horizontal version too, so between the two you can find whichever matches your smile.
Why a deep bite is worth correcting
Left to itself, a deep bite does more than look a little closed down. The lower front teeth press hard against the uppers, and against the gum behind them, so the enamel on the lower edges slowly wears and flattens. Some people notice their lower teeth looking shorter over the years, or a tender spot on the gum just behind the top front teeth. A very deep bite can also make later dental work, such as a crown or a bridge, harder to fit well, because there is so little room between the teeth.
None of that means every deep bite needs treatment. A modest overlap is normal, and plenty of people live happily with a slightly deep bite that causes no trouble at all. It becomes worth doing something about when the lower teeth are wearing, when the bite is uncomfortable, or when it is clearly heading that way. Dr. Catherine McLeod looks at how your teeth are actually wearing before she suggests anything, and if your deep bite is causing no harm, she will happily tell you it can be left alone.
How a deep bite is corrected at Embrace Orthodontics
The approach depends a great deal on age. In a growing child, the most elegant option is often to guide the bite while the jaw is still developing, encouraging the back teeth and the jaw to open the front overlap up before it fully sets. This is the kind of well-timed care our early treatment page describes, and it can make any later stage shorter or, now and then, unnecessary. A first check around age seven is the natural time to see whether a deep bite is forming.
In teens and adults the teeth are moved with braces or clear aligners, using bite-opening mechanics that gently ease the front teeth apart and let the back teeth meet evenly, and a retainer then holds the result. Your first visit is a free consultation on Spring Garden Road in Halifax, with a comfortable iTero scan instead of goopy impressions and a written plan and exact quote to take away. Timelines vary from one mouth to the next, so Dr. Catherine McLeod gives you an honest range, works to avoid removing adult teeth wherever she can, and offers interest-free monthly plans if you would like to spread the cost. There is no waitlist either, so once you get in touch a consultation is usually only a week away.