Can I wear braces on just my lower teeth to correct an overbite? (photos)

Doctor's Answer

Thank you for your enquiry.

Unfortunately I would have to agree with Drs Lim and Toh, it would be best to treat both upper and lower jaws for overbite correction. A increased overbite, which is what you present with, is an increased overlap of the upper and lower teeth. The ideal overbite should be about 1-2mm. The reason for this increased overbite is due to both the upper and lower teeth, and not only the lower, hence in order to correct the overbite we would need to level and align both the upper and lower teeth to reduce the overbite. If you look from your side profile photo, your upper front teeth are coming downwards in the front, contributing to the overbite.

Furthermore, your bite is pretty tight, so straightening your crooked lower teeth without treating the upper teeth would require some filing in between the teeth to create space to decrowd the teeth.

Controlled shaving or filing the teeth can help to make teeth look less sharp, and if done properly (not excessively), the teeth do not become sensitive. However, I would advise for you to have any filing done after you have straightened your teeth, as the positions of the teeth may change and the sharp teeth may not look as sharp. Minimizing any filing would be ideal.

Braces or invisalign treatment for both upper and lower teeth would be ideal to straighten your teeth and improve your overbite. However we do understand that some patients only want to treat the area of concern, as long as they understand the limitations of such treatment. Share your concerns with your dentist or orthodontist and I'm sure they will be able to customize a treatment plan that will suit your needs.

With regards to pricing, kindly fill in the form below to obtain a quotation for your treatment.

Thank you and all the best.

Ask any health question for free

I’m not so sure about a procedure...

Ask Icon Ask a Question

Join Human

Sign up now for a free Human account to get answers from specialists in Singapore.

Sign Up

Get The Pill

Be healthier with our Bite-sized health news straight in your inbox