Deck bite: what is meant by it and how can it be treated?

You would like to have your stud bite treated? Then you’ve come to the right place. In this article you will find all the important information about the malocclusion itself as well as the overbite treatment.

Dentists and orthodontists always speak of a malocclusion when one or more teeth are outside the ideal arch shape of the upper or lower jaw.

For example, they may be rotated, protrude forward or backward, or simply not grow out where they should.

In most cases, tooth misalignments have only aesthetic effects. So they disturb us visually, but do not negatively affect our health.

In some cases, however, crooked teeth can also make it difficult to clean the teeth or interfere with eating. Speech disorders (e.g. lisp) are also not uncommon.

Serious health consequences are also possible. However, they are usually the result of extreme tooth misalignment.

A serious malocclusion is the so-called overbite. This is a particularly severe form of deep bite.

The overbite often disturbs sufferers for aesthetic reasons. In most cases, however, the misalignment of teeth also needs to be treated for health reasons.

You can find more information about the topic of stud bites as well as possibilities of treatment in this article.

Here you can also find out whether discreet treatment with invisible braces (aligners) is possible.

You want to know directly? Then make a free and non-binding consultation appointment here.

You can find a first overview of all malocclusions here.

Many patients have already had their misaligned teeth successfully treated with invisible dental splints. Take a look at their before/after pictures here.

Deck bite: what exactly is it?

Dentists and orthodontists always speak of a so-called normal bite when the upper front teeth slightly overhang the lower ones.

The normal range is about 2-3 millimeters. If this is the case, biting is possible without any problems and the upper and lower incisors support each other.

If, on the other hand, the teeth of the upper jaw protrude more than 3 millimeters above the teeth of the lower jaw, we are talking about a deep bite.

It is one of the most common dental malocclusions and poses the risk of the lower teeth biting into the palate or the upper incisors hitting the lower gums.

A cover bite is a very pronounced deep bite form. Here, the upper anterior teeth very clearly overhang the lower front. In addition, the upper teeth are tilted inward.

The term overbite comes from the fact that the lower incisors are completely hidden due to the misalignment of the teeth.

The overbite often leads to damage to the gums. It inflames relatively easily, so there may even be a decline.

A cover bite should always be treated in principle – both for medical and aesthetic reasons.

Cover bite causes: How does the malocclusion develop?

A stud bite is almost always genetic. Usually the upper teeth grow out because the upper and lower incisors do not support each other sufficiently.

In technical jargon, the upper teeth extrude. As a result, they protrude further and further beyond the lower incisors until they meet the gums.

Occasionally, the overbite also occurs because the molars have not erupted far enough.

In this case, the molars make very late contact when biting down. This results in the anterior teeth protruding very far.

The overbite often occurs in combination with an overbite, in which the upper jaw is too far in front of the lower jaw.

In this combination, the upper incisors no longer have any opposing teeth. They then also become longer and grow out.

If this is the case, both malocclusions must always be treated so that the therapy can be completed successfully.

Cover bite before/after: symptoms and consequences of malocclusion

The cover bite can influence the cooperation of tendons, muscles and joints. It can have a negative impact on health as well as lead to visual impairment.

Possible cosmetic and health consequences may include:

• Pain in the jaw muscles
• Injury of the anterior palate and palatal mucosa
• Injury to the lower, external gum
• Gingivitis and receding gums
• Rare: Chewing and breathing problems
• In severe cases: Caries and periodontal disease, due to the strong contact between teeth when biting together.

To make matters worse, a severe overbite can also affect the facial profile.

Typical for the malocclusion are a so-called receding chin (centrifugal chin) and the typical “buck teeth”.

These visual impairments caused by the cover bite can in turn result in psychological problems.

Cover bite treatment: how to proceed?

A deck bite should always be treated, as it almost always worsens over time.

There are several methods that can be considered for a deck bite treatment. Exactly which one the dentist or orthodontist recommends depends on the severity of the malposition and the patient’s age.

Cover bite treatment in children and adolescents

Ideally, the overbite is diagnosed and corrected in childhood or adolescence.

This is because at a young age, the jaw is still growing, giving dentists and orthodontists more options for straightening teeth.

Orthodontic appliances for overbite treatment in children and adolescents include:

• Active plates: These are removable braces that actively intervene in jaw growth and tooth alignment. Active plates consist of a plastic framework into which wire elements are incorporated for support.
• Frontal bite block: It is a special form of overbite treatment, which ensures that the teeth no longer bite together completely. In this way, they approach the normal bite.
• Functional orthodontic appliances (FKO appliances): They have a passive effect and use natural muscle movements to correct teeth.
• Headgear: It combines fixed and removable parts. The headgear belongs to the extraoral devices (cervical headgear) and consists on the one hand of metal bands that are attached to the posterior upper molars and remain in the mouth. Second, there is an external brace that attaches to these bands and can be removed by the patient.
• Fixed braces: Last but not least, older children and adolescents can also use classic fixed braces, which consist of brackets, bands and archwires.

Cover bite treatment in adults

The treatment of adults with a stud bite is not quite as uncomplicated. Because here the jaw is already completely grown out.

Nevertheless, treatment of a stud bite is always unavoidable – regardless of the age at which it was diagnosed.

The length of time required for the correction of adult teeth depends on the severity of the malocclusion.

If orthodontic measures in childhood were unsuccessful or even missed, fixed braces may be used in adults .

Fixed braces must be worn for several months, in some cases even for several years.

However, quite a few adults fear the limitations of fixed braces in their professional and everyday lives.

Also for aesthetic reasons, fixed braces are an absolute emergency solution for most adults.

In addition, there is the relatively high price. This is because health insurance will only cover the cost of a stud bite treatment in extreme cases.

As a rule, however, a stud bite treatment for adults has to be paid for by the patient, which is often no walk in the park with treatment costs starting from 6000 Euros upwards.

Can an overbite be treated discreetly with aligners?

In some cases, however, adults can avoid fixed braces. This is because treatment with transparent dental splints is often possible for mild to moderate degrees of tooth misalignment.

These so-called aligners enable discreet tooth correction, as they are completely transparent and fit precisely on the teeth.

They can be removed at any time. However, this is only recommended for eating and daily dental care, as they must be worn for at least 22 hours a day.

Another plus point is the price: the cost of invisible dental trays, for example, starts at just 1790 euros or 33 euros a month with the renowned provider DrSmile.

Here you can find more information about DrSmile prices.

You can find out whether your deep bite can be treated with invisible aligners during a free, no-obligation consultation that you can book here.

If regular aligners reach their limits, the invisible braces of Invisalign can treat a more pronounced overbite in some cases.

However, they are significantly more expensive than the products of competitors.

FAQs about stud bite treatment and stud bite before/after

At this point we will answer some frequently asked questions about the topics stud bite treatment and stud bite before/after.