A deep bite (also called overbite) is when the upper front teeth excessively overlap the lower front teeth when biting down, often covering more than half of the lower teeth or even touching the gums. It can be caused by skeletal factors like an overgrown upper jaw or undergrown lower jaw, dental factors such as overerupted upper incisors or undererupted lower incisors, or developmental issues like early loss of baby teeth. Other contributing factors include genetics, teeth grinding, and certain oral habits during childhood development.

Deep bites are treated through orthodontics (braces or aligners) that intrude upper front teeth, extrude lower front teeth, or level the bite through posterior tooth movement, while severe skeletal cases may require orthognathic surgery combined with orthodontics. Orthodontic treatment alone is most effective for dental deep bites, typically using techniques like bite blocks, reverse curve wires, or clear aligners with specific attachments to achieve proper tooth positioning. For skeletal deep bites with significant jaw discrepancies, the most effective treatment combines orthognathic surgery to reposition the jaws with comprehensive orthodontics for optimal long-term stability and function.