Closed Bite

---Your face may look "collapsed"---

One of the bite problems most detrimental to facial esthetic is the deep overbite, which refers to the almost complete overlapping of the upper of the upper front teeth over the lower teeth. Frequently the edges of the lower front teeth bite into the gum tissue of your palate. The treatment of choice for deep overbite is orthodontics.

A closed bite results when there is either complete or partial loss of back teeth, leading to loss of facial height. The result of this bite condition is a partial collapse of the lower facial tissue. The typical facial appearance then is one of aging, as if the person had no teeth. This can exist even in young people.

Correction of a closed bite can mean opening the bite is not too severe, a compromise result can sometimes be obtained by building up the back teeth with crowns or gold onlays. This would then permit either bonding or crowning of the front teeth, should they require it. However, repositioning or orthodontics, followed by crown and bridge, or bonding is the best bet. orthodontic surgery may be required if the lower jaw is too small and needs to be repositioned.