Smile Gallery - Overbite

Overbite (Dental Protrusion - Class II)

The common term ‘overbite’ refers to the horizontal space between the top and bottom front teeth. The correct dental term is ‘overjet’ and is measured in mm. 1-2 mm overjet is acceptable. Anything beyond that should be corrected. The cause of the overjet could be skeletal in origin, dental in origin or a combination of both. Treatment can vary from non-extraction to extraction of two or four teeth. If there is a strong skeletal component to the problem, the ideal age for treatment is during the growing years. After cessation of skeletal grow, treatment goals may be limited and jaw surgery may be the only option for optimal esthetic improvement. If the overjet is dental in origin, extractions of teeth are usually indicated.

Problem: Class II deep bite in the late mixed dentition in a 10y 6m old girl.
Treatment: Phase I treatment utilizing distalizing arch and Class II elastics with partial upper braces for 9 months. A lower lingual arch was placed for space maintenance. Patient probably will not need Phase II treatment as all her other permanent teeth came in straight.

Problem: Class II Div 1 malocclusion in an 8y 6m old girl with crowding of upper and lower teeth, crossbite of the upper left lateral incisor, severe overjet of 10 mm and a deep and impinging overbite.
Treatment: Phase I treatment utilizing cervical headgear and Class II elastics for orthopedic correction of the skeletal Class II bite. She wore the headgear 12-14 hours a day and the elastics full time. Upper and lower partial braces were worn to correct the alignment of the front teeth. Total Phase I treatment time - 18 months. She continued to wear her headgear to sleep during retention, while waiting for all her permanent teeth to erupt. Phase II treatment time involved full braces for 13 months. 

Problem: Class II Div 1 malocclusion in a 12y 4m old girl with crowding of upper and lower teeth.
Treatment: Headgear worn 12 - 14 hrs. for 9 months and Class II elastics for 16 months. No teeth were extracted. Patient had favorable growth during treatment. Treatment time - 26 months.

Problem: Class II Div 1 malocclusion with severe overjet of 10 mm, deep and impinging overbite and dental spacing in 13 year old boy. He is also congenitally missing the lower left second bicuspid tooth.
Treatment: Full braces for 29 months. Headgear worn 12 - 14 hrs. for 2 years.  The retained baby tooth has a cosmetic build up to improve the bite.

Problem: Class II Div 1 malocclusion with severe overjet of 10mm and upper and lower dental crowding in 15y 8m old girl.
Treatment: Removal of four bicuspid teeth (upper 4’s and lower 5’s) and full braces for 26 months. A transpalatal bar is cemented to the upper teeth for anchorage during retraction of the upper front teeth.

Problem: Class II Div 1 malocclusion with severe overjet of 8mm, deep overbite of 80% and dental crowding in 12y 6m old girl.
Treatment: Removal of four first bicuspid teeth and full braces for 24 months. A Nance holding palatal arch is cemented to the upper teeth for anchorage during retraction of the upper front teeth.

Problem: Class II Crowding with severe overjet of 8mm in 14 year old male.
Treatment: Removal of four bicuspid teeth, full braces and Class II elastics worn. Treatment time - 28 months.

Problem: Class II Div 1 with bimaxillary dental protrusion in a 37y old female. Incompetent lips due to the dental protrusion.
Treatment: Removal of four bicuspid teeth and full braces. In order to achieve maximum retraction of the front teeth, a transpalatal bar was cemented to the upper molars and a lip bumper was worn to the lower molars for extra anchorage. Treatment time was 25 months.

Click on a Smile Gallery link above to view more before and after cases.