Fixing an Open Bite: Are Braces the Only Answer?
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Table of Contents
- Causes
- Treatment
- Costs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Resources
Close a healthy mouth, and back teeth will fit together perfectly. Top incisors drop down in front of their lower counterparts. The teeth touch like one perfect unit.
Someone with an open bite has teeth that don't fit this model. An open bite means that the top and bottom teeth don’t fit together correctly. Usually, the back teeth fit together while the front teeth remain apart from each other, leaving the bite open.
Two forms exist.
- Anterior open bite: Front teeth slant outward and don't connect at all, even when the back molars do. Most people with an open bite have this version.
- Posterior open bite: Front teeth fit together as they should, but back teeth never do.
Genetics, injuries, and habits all cause open bites. Surgery, orthodontics, or some combination of the two are common treatment approaches. Experts may also use aligners or palate expanders.
Open bites are complex, and lengthy treatment times are common. This is one of the most expensive dental problems to solve, but insurance may cover some of the costs.
What causes an open bite?
Open bites can stem from genetic factors. If one jaw grows faster than another, and this same issue appears throughout your family tree, genetics could be to blame. But some decisions made both in childhood and adulthood could spark an open bite.
Experts say open bites can develop due to:
Childhood Choices
Tongue Movement
Tooth Grinding
Very young kids can develop open bites. If they stop the behaviors that lead to the issue, their teeth can adjust to their proper positions. But adults with open bites can't expect spontaneous recovery. They will need help.
People with braces can also develop open bites, researchers said back in 1997. It's hard to find comfortable positions for your teeth when they're covered in metal. You may use your mouth muscles and tongue to swallow food, and that can contribute to tongue thrust and tooth movement. Your orthodontist must catch this and fix it if it happens.
How is an open bite treated?
Open bites are serious. It's difficult to clean your teeth when they don't fit together. And open jaws strain muscles and tendons, causing headaches. Plenty of open bite treatments exist to ease discomfort and encourage your teeth to connect.
Dentists, orthodontists, and other dental health professionals treat open bites with:
Screws
Self-Ligating Bands
Surgery
Aligners
Palate Expanders
Teeth roll forward or back when they don't have enough room to line up along the jaw. Palate expanders sit behind the teeth and push on the jaw. Bone slowly grows, and teeth get the room they need.
Braces or aligners complete the treatment process, as they encourage teeth to take up their proper spots.
Tongue Spurs
These solutions are dramatically different. Some customers need multiple therapy types to close an open bite. You may need tongue help, screws, elastics, and braces, for example. You may then use aligners to secure your teeth in place.
But mild cases of open bite don't need intense interventions. A few months in aligners or braces could be all you need to perfect your smile.
You can talk with an orthodontist to determine the best path forward. After an exam, your team can tell you what should happen next and how long your treatment plan might last.
You can also consult an at-home aligner company. You’ll take impressions of your teeth and send those in to the company. They’ll assess your teeth’s alignment, including your open bite, to determine if they can straighten your smile and correct your bite with aligners.
What does treatment cost?
An open bite changes your smile. When your teeth don't meet, it's hard to show off a row of pearly whites. But the issue isn't just cosmetic.
Often, it interferes with your quality of life. It's common for insurance companies to chip in and pay for part of your care. But even with some insurance coverage, the bills can still be high.
People who opt for surgery will see the biggest bills. Experts say orthognathic surgery (which involves amending an open bite) can cost up to $40,000 for people without insurance. With coverage, you can knock that bill down to $5,000 or so.
Choose braces, and you will pay less. Experts say braces cost, on average, about $5,000. But difficult open bites come with higher prices. Expect to pay more for interventions like:
- Headgear.
- Jaw screws.
- Rubber bands.
You'll also pay more if you modify your braces. Choose tooth-colored ceramic brackets, for example, and your bill can jump to about $8,500.
Dental insurance can offset some of the costs of braces, but this is usually only the case when braces are medically necessary rather than purely for aesthetic reasons.
Clear aligners offer both efficacy and value. You don’t have to visit an orthodontist regularly since the aligners are mailed right to your home. For mild cases, doctor-supervised, at-home aligners can be yours for about $2,000.
These tools aren't right for all open bite problems. Significant cases may need more help than aligners can deliver. But for some, they offer the perfect way to straighten a smile while saving money and time.
Open bite FAQs.
Does an open bite require braces?
If you want to fix an open bite, you will need to get braces or another type of orthodontia like invisible aligners. Open bites do not necessarily cause severe health problems, but they can lead to difficulty chewing or biting into foods.
An open bite puts stress on teeth in ways that may not be good for long-term dental health. For example, front teeth do not touch, which could lead to chipping a tooth due to the stress of biting. If back teeth do not fit together, they could be ground down in detrimental ways during chewing, which could increase the risk of cavities or worn enamel.
More often, though, people with open bites are concerned about how their smile looks to others. Even if their teeth are generally healthy, they may feel self-conscious next to friends who do not have misaligned teeth. Fortunately, orthodontics like clear aligners can help.
Can an open bite fix itself in an adult?
Sometimes, if an open bite occurs with baby teeth, the open bite might resolve itself as adult teeth come in. If your child sucks their thumb, thrusts their tongue, or uses a pacifier longer than intended, their open bite might go away once that behavior stops.
Once adult teeth take the place of baby teeth, an open bite will not go away and requires orthodontia. Fortunately, there are many options for dental treatment to manage open bites, including clear plastic aligners. Treatment typically takes 12 to 24 months, or one to two years, to complete.
Do adults have open bites?
Yes, adults can have an open bite. While it is much more common for children to develop open bites with their baby teeth, adults sometimes develop this problem because their teeth are crowded, or they still have some habits like tongue thrusting, especially at night while they are asleep.
An open bite can contribute to snoring and sleep apnea, problems breathing properly, and higher stress on teeth. These issues can increase the risk of other dental problems, including tooth decay, misalignments in other teeth, and chipped or cracked enamel.
What is the best way to fix an open bite?
Your orthodontist will advise you on the best way to fix an open bite since individual needs can vary. However, many adults who have open bites opt for invisible aligners, which can rapidly improve dental alignment while being very difficult to notice.
Most invisible aligners require 20 or more hours per day of wear, but you only wear each aligner for about two weeks at a time, taking it out to eat and drink at meals or snacks. When you smile, others are unlikely to notice these devices. But they are quietly realigning your smile and helping your front teeth align so you can bite into food, smile for the camera, and feel confident in your oral health.
Resources.
Anterior Bite Opening in Adulthood. (2017). The Open Dentistry Journal.
Treating the Open Bite. (March 1997). Journal of General Orthodontics.
Nonsurgical Treatment and Stability of an Adult With Severe Anterior Open-Bite Malocclusion. (2018). Journal of Orthodontic Science.
Rapid, Nonsurgical Open-Bite Closure With a Passive Self-ligating Bracket System Using a Differential Bonding Technique. (October 2017). Orthodontic Practice U.S.
Open Bite Malocclusion: An Overview. (January 2018). Journal of Oral Health and Craniofacial Science.
A New Approach to Open Bite Treatment. (September 2010). Oral Health.
Two-Phase Treatment of Anterior Open Bite. (December 2017). Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.
Perception of Discomfort During Orthodontic Treatment with Tongue Spurs. (2011). Orthodontics.
Orthognathic Surgery Cost. CostHelper.
Braces Cost. CostHelper.
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