Can Clear Aligners Fix an Underbite?

An underbite is one of the more complex orthodontic issues people seek treatment for. Whether clear aligners can address it depends on the severity and the underlying cause. Here is what you need to know.

What Is an Underbite?

An underbite occurs when the lower teeth sit in front of the upper teeth when the mouth is closed. In a normal bite, the upper front teeth overlap slightly in front of the lower teeth. With an underbite, this relationship is reversed.

Underbites range significantly in severity. At the milder end, a small number of lower front teeth may sit slightly forward of the uppers. At the more severe end, the entire lower dental arch protrudes significantly, which is often associated with a lower jaw that is larger or positioned further forward than the upper jaw.

Can Clear Aligners Fix an Underbite?

Clear aligners can address dental underbites, where the position of the teeth is the primary cause of the reversed bite relationship. By moving specific upper teeth forward and lower teeth backward, aligners can correct the bite relationship in cases where the jaw bones themselves are not the underlying cause.

Aligners are most effective for underbites that are dental in origin rather than skeletal. A dental underbite is one where the jaw size and position are broadly normal, but the teeth themselves are angled or positioned in a way that creates the underbite appearance. In these cases, aligner treatment can achieve meaningful correction.

Mild vs Severe Underbite

Mild underbites are generally the best candidates for clear aligner treatment. The tooth movements required are within the range that aligners can reliably achieve, and results can be significant.

Moderate underbites may be partially addressable with aligners, often in combination with other interventions such as elastics, which attach between upper and lower aligners to apply additional corrective force to the jaw relationship.

Severe underbites, particularly those with a significant skeletal component where the lower jaw is structurally larger or more forward than the upper, are typically beyond what aligners can fully correct. These cases may require a combination of orthodontic treatment and jaw surgery for a complete resolution.

Other Treatment Options

For underbites that are too complex for aligner treatment alone, orthodontic treatment with braces in combination with orthognathic surgery is the most comprehensive approach. This involves surgically repositioning the jaw bone to correct the skeletal relationship, followed by fine-tuning of the bite with orthodontics.

The right treatment path depends on a thorough clinical assessment. Jawology's clinical team will evaluate your specific case and advise whether aligners are a suitable option, and what the realistic outcome of treatment would be.

Frequently Asked Questions