What are the different types of bite?
In a normal bite the upper front teeth sit slightly in front of and over the lower ones, and the back teeth meet evenly. The main bite problems (malocclusions) are deep bite, increased overjet, underbite, crossbite, open bite, edge-to-edge bite, scissor bite, crowding and spacing. At Creative Arts in Dubai, a specialist orthodontist diagnoses which type you have and whether the teeth or the jaws cause it, because that decides the treatment.
What does a normal bite look like?
Orthodontists describe a bite with a few simple measurements. Knowing them makes every other bite type easier to understand:
- Overbite is the vertical overlap: how far the upper front teeth cover the lower front teeth when you bite together.
- Overjet is the horizontal gap: how far the upper front teeth sit in front of the lower ones.
- Back teeth should meet evenly on both sides, with the upper teeth sitting slightly outside the lower teeth all the way round.
- Midlines, the gaps between the two upper and the two lower front teeth, should roughly line up with each other and with the face.
In a typical healthy bite, overbite and overjet are both small, a couple of millimetres or so. Some variation is normal, and a bite does not have to be textbook-perfect to be healthy. It becomes a malocclusion when the teeth meet in a way that wears them, damages gums, makes the jaw shift, or affects chewing, speech or appearance enough to matter to you.
Types of bite at a glance
Plain-language descriptions. Many people have more than one of these at the same time.
| Bite type | What you see | Common causes | Why it can matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep bite | Upper front teeth hide most of the lower front teeth | Jaw growth pattern, over-erupted front teeth, worn or missing back teeth | Wear on front teeth; lower teeth can bite into the gum behind the upper ones |
| Increased overjet | Upper front teeth stick forward ("buck teeth") | Small or set-back lower jaw, thumb sucking, lip position | Front teeth are easier to injure; lips may not close comfortably |
| Underbite | Lower front teeth close in front of the upper ones | Long or forward lower jaw, small upper jaw, tipped teeth; often runs in families | Wear, chewing difficulty and a prominent chin |
| Crossbite | Some upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth, front or back | Narrow upper jaw, a single tooth erupting in the wrong place | Uneven wear, gum recession; the jaw may shift sideways to close |
| Open bite | Front (or back) teeth do not meet when you bite | Thumb or dummy habits, tongue posture, vertical jaw growth | Hard to bite into food; some sounds can be affected |
| Edge-to-edge bite | Front teeth meet tip to tip | Mild underbite tendency, tooth position | Chipping and wear of the biting edges |
| Scissor bite | Upper back teeth sit completely outside the lower ones | Upper arch too wide or lower arch too narrow on one side | Back teeth have no proper chewing contact |
| Crowding | Overlapping, rotated or twisted teeth | Not enough room in the jaw for the teeth | Harder to clean; affects how teeth meet |
| Spacing | Gaps between teeth | Small teeth, missing teeth, tongue or lip pressure | Food traps and appearance |
These descriptions help you recognise a bite type; a diagnosis needs an examination and records.
Class I, II and III: the classification orthodontists use
Orthodontic reports often use Angle's classification, which looks at how the first permanent molars meet. It sounds technical but maps neatly onto what patients notice:
- Class I: the molars meet normally. The jaws are in a good relationship, and any problem is in the teeth themselves, such as crowding, spacing, a crossbite or an open bite.
- Class II: the lower molars sit too far back relative to the upper ones, often because the lower jaw is set back. In division 1 the upper front teeth tip forward, giving a large overjet. In division 2 the upper central incisors tip backwards and the bite is usually deep.
- Class III: the lower molars sit too far forward, which goes with an edge-to-edge bite or an underbite.
The class describes the pattern, not the severity. A mild Class II bite may need nothing; a severe Class I crowding case may need comprehensive treatment.
Overbite: deep bite and overjet are two different problems
"Overbite" is used loosely for two things. A deep bite is too much vertical overlap: in severe cases the lower front teeth touch the gum behind the upper teeth, and the front teeth wear down. Increased overjet is the upper teeth projecting forward, which leaves them exposed to knocks and falls. The two often appear together but are corrected differently: a deep bite is levelled, an overjet is reduced by moving the upper teeth back or the lower ones forward. Our page on overbite correction explains both, and protruding front teeth covers overjet in detail.
Underbite: teeth or jaw?
In an underbite the lower front teeth close in front of the upper ones. When the cause is the teeth, for example upper incisors tipped back, braces or aligners with elastics can usually restore a normal overlap. When the lower jaw is long or the upper jaw small, the problem is skeletal, and in an adult who has finished growing it may need orthodontics combined with jaw surgery. See underbite correction for how the two are told apart.
Crossbite: front, back, one side or both
A crossbite is any tooth biting on the wrong side of its partner. An anterior crossbite involves one or more upper front teeth sitting behind the lower ones. A posterior crossbite involves upper back teeth biting inside the lower teeth, on one side or both, and usually reflects a narrow upper jaw. A one-sided crossbite sometimes makes the lower jaw slide sideways to find a comfortable bite, which is why it is checked early in children. Treatment ranges from moving a single tooth to widening the upper arch with an expander; see crossbite correction.
Open bite: when the front teeth do not meet
With an anterior open bite, the back teeth touch but a gap remains between the upper and lower front teeth, so biting into a sandwich or an apple is awkward. Long-standing thumb or dummy habits and tongue posture are common contributors; in some people the jaws themselves grow with a vertical pattern. Open bites are known for relapsing if the cause is not addressed, so habits and long-term retention are part of the plan. Read more on open bite correction.
Edge-to-edge bite, scissor bite, crowding and spacing
An edge-to-edge bite sits between normal and underbite: the front teeth meet tip to tip and tend to chip. A scissor bite is the reverse of a back-tooth crossbite, with upper teeth passing completely outside the lower ones. Both are covered on our bite problems page. Crowding and spacing are problems of room rather than of how the jaws meet, though they change the bite too; see crooked and crowded teeth and gaps between teeth.
Dental or skeletal: the question that changes the treatment
Two people can have the same-looking underbite or open bite for different reasons. If the teeth are tipped, moving teeth fixes it. If the jaws are mismatched, moving teeth may only disguise it, and in adults jaw surgery may be the more reliable answer. That is why records and measurements come before any choice of appliance.
Which treatment fits which type of bite?
Typical approaches. The specialist orthodontist chooses the appliance only after diagnosis.
| Bite type | Usual approach | When more may be needed |
|---|---|---|
| Deep bite | Levelling with fixed braces or Invisalign | Temporary anchorage devices for difficult tooth movements; jaw surgery only for severe skeletal cases |
| Increased overjet | Braces or aligners, often with elastics; sometimes space is created first | Large skeletal differences in adults may be planned with jaw surgery |
| Underbite | Braces or aligners with elastics when the teeth are the cause | Orthodontics with jaw surgery when the jaws are the cause and growth has finished |
| Crossbite | Moving the tooth, or widening a narrow upper arch with an expander | Adults with a narrow upper jaw may need anchorage devices or surgical help to widen it |
| Open bite | Stopping habits, then braces or aligners | Anchorage devices or jaw surgery when vertical jaw growth is the cause |
| Edge-to-edge bite | Braces or aligners to create a normal overlap | Worn edges may be rebuilt after the bite is corrected |
| Scissor bite | Fixed braces, often with anchorage devices | Rarely, surgery if the jaw widths are very different |
| Crowding or spacing | Braces or aligners; space from expansion or, in some cases, removing teeth | Small or missing teeth may need bonding, crowns or implants afterwards |
Every pathway ends with long-term retainers. Treatment length typically runs 12–24 months for comprehensive orthodontics, shorter for simple cases and longer with surgery.
How is your type of bite diagnosed?
A bite cannot be classified reliably from a selfie. At a first orthodontic visit, these are the usual steps.
Examination
How the teeth meet at rest and in movement, overbite and overjet, midlines, wear, gums and any sideways jaw shift on closing.
Records
Photographs, a 3D intraoral scan and X-rays, including a side-view skull X-ray when the jaw relationship needs measuring.
Jaw function
Jaw joints and muscles are checked, with a fuller TMJ assessment when there is clicking, pain or limited opening.
Diagnosis and options
You are told the bite type, whether teeth or jaws cause it, and the options with their trade-offs, in a written plan.
Does every type of bite need treatment?
No. A mild malocclusion that causes no wear, gum damage or jaw shift and does not bother you can simply be monitored. Treatment is worth discussing when front teeth are wearing or chipping, the lower teeth bite into the palate, the jaw slides sideways to close, chewing or certain sounds are difficult, cleaning is hard because of crowding, or you are unhappy with how your teeth look.
Timing matters too. In children, an orthodontic assessment around age seven decides whether waiting or early treatment would help; for most bites, waiting is fine. In adults, teeth move at any age, and adult orthodontics plans around existing fillings, crowns and gum health. Veneers can change how front teeth look but do not move teeth or jaws, so they do not correct a bite.
Not sure which type of bite you have? A specialist orthodontist at our Jumeirah clinic can measure it, explain whether teeth or jaws are the cause, and set out every option.
See orthodonticsWho diagnoses and corrects bite problems?
Bites are assessed and treated at Creative Arts by two specialist orthodontists; cases that may need jaw surgery are planned with oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Firas Osman.
