If your back teeth meet but you can still see a gap between your top and bottom front teeth, you most likely have an open bite. Many people only notice it when biting into a sandwich or an apple feels awkward, or when a dentist points it out at a check-up. How it is managed depends mostly on your age and on what is holding the teeth apart.
The gap usually sits at the front
In a typical bite, the upper front teeth overlap the lower ones a little when you close. With an anterior open bite, that overlap is missing and a space stays open between the front teeth. This is the most common form. A posterior open bite, where some back teeth fail to touch while the front teeth do, is seen less often.
Because the front teeth cannot meet, people with an anterior open bite tend to tear food with their side teeth instead. Some also find certain sounds, especially s and th, harder to say clearly because the tongue drifts forward into the space.
Habits and jaw growth are the usual causes
An open bite rarely has one single cause. Most develop because something presses on the teeth for long periods while they are coming through, or because of the way the jaws grow, and often both play a part.
- Thumb, finger or dummy sucking. Steady pressure from a thumb or dummy can stop the front teeth from erupting fully and tip them apart. A long-standing thumb habit can also train the tongue to sit forward, which keeps the gap open even after the habit stops.
- Tongue thrust. Some people push the tongue between the front teeth when they swallow or when the mouth is at rest. That repeated pressure can hold the teeth apart.
- Mouth breathing. Breathing through the mouth changes where the tongue and lower jaw rest, which can influence how the teeth settle.
- The pattern of jaw growth. In some people the jaws grow in a way that leaves the front teeth apart regardless of habits. This tendency can run in families.
Thumb sucking and mouth breathing each have their own guide if you want more detail: how thumb sucking affects teeth and mouth breathing in children.
What an open bite can affect day to day
Some people with a mild open bite have no problems at all. For others, the effects are practical. Biting through food with the front teeth may be difficult, so the side and back teeth do more of the work and can show extra wear over the years. Speech can be affected. Some people also feel self-conscious about the gap when they smile or talk.
In children, the bigger concern is that a habit-driven open bite can become part of the adult bite if it is not addressed while the teeth and jaws are still developing.
Children: dealing with the habit comes first
When a sucking habit is the main cause and it stops early, often before the adult front teeth are fully established, the bite may close on its own as the child grows. Dentists usually start with gentle support: reminders, reward charts and praise rather than pressure. If the habit persists, a fixed appliance known as a habit crib can be fitted behind the upper front teeth to make sucking and tongue thrusting less comfortable.
Exercises that retrain where the tongue rests and how a child swallows (often called myofunctional therapy) may be suggested alongside this. If mouth breathing is part of the picture, the child may also need to see their GP or an ear, nose and throat doctor to check for blocked airways. Our guide to early orthodontic treatment for children explains why an assessment in the primary school years can be worthwhile.
Teenagers and adults: moving the teeth back into contact
Once the adult teeth are in and growth has slowed, an open bite generally needs orthodontic treatment to close. Fixed braces or clear aligners can move the teeth so the front teeth meet, and small temporary anchor screws are sometimes placed to help move teeth in ways braces alone cannot. Whether aligners suit a particular case depends on how large the gap is and what is causing it.
When the open bite comes mainly from the shape and position of the jaws rather than the teeth, orthodontics alone may not be enough. In those cases, treatment may combine braces with jaw surgery, planned with a registered orthodontist and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Whatever the approach, an ongoing tongue thrust or mouth-breathing pattern needs attention too. If the cause is still there when treatment finishes, the gap is more likely to reopen, which is one reason wearing retainers as instructed matters. For related bite problems, see overbite, underbite and crossbite, and for adult options, braces compared with aligners for adults.
Getting an open bite assessed at Lumi
Our dentists provide orthodontic treatment with both fixed braces and clear aligners. We are general dentists, not orthodontists, so if a bite is complex or may need surgery we can refer you to a registered orthodontist. An assessment usually includes looking at how your teeth meet, checking habits such as tongue position and breathing, and taking records such as a 3D scan of the teeth where needed.
Common questions
Will my child grow out of an open bite?
Sometimes. If the cause is a sucking habit that stops early, the gap may close as the child grows. If it is still there once the adult front teeth are through, or if jaw growth is a factor, it is less likely to resolve by itself.
Can clear aligners close an open bite?
Aligners can treat many open bites, particularly milder ones caused by tooth position. Larger gaps, or those caused by jaw shape, may need braces, anchor screws or a combined surgical plan. An assessment will show which options fit.
Does an open bite need treatment if it does not bother me?
Treatment is a choice. In adults an open bite does not usually close by itself, and some people prefer to treat it for easier biting, clearer speech or to reduce wear on the back teeth. Others decide to monitor it.
If you or your child has a gap between the front teeth when biting together, book an assessment with our team in Melrose Park. Free consults are available for braces and aligners; see current deals for details.
This article is general information and not a substitute for personalised advice from your dentist.
