Quick answer: An overbite means the upper front teeth cover too much of the lower ones, an underbite means the lower teeth sit in front, a crossbite means some upper teeth bite inside the lower ones, and an open bite means the front teeth do not meet at all. Most are corrected with braces or clear aligners. Metal braces at Teeth Care start at INR 55,000.
Try this in front of a mirror. Close your back teeth together slowly, then look at your front teeth from the side. If your lower front teeth have almost vanished behind the upper ones, or your upper teeth sit well ahead of your lower lip, you are looking at an overbite.
Plenty of people find out this way, usually after a side-profile photo they did not like. Overbite gets searched about 12,100 times a month in India, and the questions behind those searches tend to be the same two. Is this actually a problem? And does fixing it mean two years of metal wires?
Sometimes yes, often no. Below we go through the four common bite problems, how you can tell them apart at home, what causes each one, how it gets corrected, and what that costs at our Kolkata clinics.
What a Normal Bite Looks Like
Bite down gently with your back teeth together and look at your front teeth. In a healthy bite, the upper front teeth overlap the lower ones by about 2 to 3 mm, roughly a quarter of the lower tooth. The upper teeth also sit just outside the lower teeth all the way around the arch, the way a box lid sits over a box.
Dentists call any departure from this a malocclusion, which simply means a bad bite. The Cleveland Clinic lists overbite, underbite, crossbite and open bite as the main types, alongside crowding and spacing.
A small deviation is common and harmless. A bigger one changes how your teeth wear, how your jaw joint works and, very often, how you feel about your smile.
The 4 Bite Problems at a Glance
| Bite problem | What you see in the mirror | Common cause | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overbite | Upper front teeth hide most of the lower front teeth | Jaw size difference, inherited | Braces or aligners, sometimes with elastics |
| Underbite | Lower front teeth sit in front of the upper ones | Lower jaw grows more than the upper | Braces, early jaw guidance in children, surgery in severe adult cases |
| Crossbite | Some upper teeth bite inside the lower teeth | Narrow upper jaw, crowding | Palate expander in children, braces or aligners |
| Open bite | Front teeth do not touch when the back teeth are closed | Thumb sucking, tongue thrusting | Habit correction plus braces or aligners |
Overbite and Buck Teeth
People use "overbite" for two different things, and the difference matters when you sit in the orthodontist's chair.
- Deep overbite is vertical. The upper teeth come down too far over the lower teeth. In severe cases the lower front teeth bite into the gum behind the upper teeth.
- Overjet, which most people call buck teeth or protruding teeth, is horizontal. The upper teeth stick out in front, leaving a gap you could slide a finger into.
Many patients have both. The usual cause is inherited: an upper jaw that is slightly ahead of the lower jaw. Long-term thumb sucking and nail biting can make it worse.
How it is fixed. In most teenagers and adults, braces move the front teeth back and level the bite. Small rubber bands called elastics are often added to pull the jaws into a better relationship. Clear aligners handle mild to moderate overbites well. A severe overbite caused by the jaw bones themselves, rather than the teeth, can need jaw surgery alongside braces in adults.
Underbite
In an underbite the lower front teeth close in front of the upper ones. Patients often describe it as "neeche ka jabda aage hai", the lower jaw sticks out. It gives the face a strong chin and can make biting into food with the front teeth difficult.
An underbite is more often a jaw problem than a tooth problem. The lower jaw has grown longer than the upper jaw, and this tends to run in families.
How it is fixed. In a growing child, appliances can guide jaw growth, which is the main reason an underbite should be checked early. In adults, a mild underbite can be camouflaged with braces by tipping the teeth. A severe skeletal underbite in an adult usually needs orthodontic treatment combined with jaw surgery, and an honest orthodontist will tell you this at the first consultation rather than promising braces alone can do it.
Crossbite
A crossbite means one or more upper teeth close on the inside of the lower teeth instead of the outside. It can affect a single front tooth or a group of back teeth on one or both sides.
Crossbites rarely hurt, which is why they get ignored. But a back-teeth crossbite often forces the lower jaw to slide sideways every time you close, so the jaw grows and works off-centre. Over years this can wear teeth unevenly and strain the jaw joint.
How it is fixed. The most common cause is an upper jaw that is too narrow. In children, a palate expander widens the upper jaw while it is still growing, often in a few months. In adults the jaw has fused, so braces or aligners move the teeth instead, and a wide skeletal crossbite may need surgical help.
Open Bite
Close your back teeth together. If you can see a gap between your upper and lower front teeth, you have an anterior open bite. You may find it hard to bite through a thread of noodles or a leaf of lettuce with your front teeth, and some people notice a slight lisp.
Open bites are strongly linked to habits: thumb sucking past early childhood, long use of a pacifier, and tongue thrusting, where the tongue pushes forward between the teeth every time you swallow.
How it is fixed. Braces or aligners close the gap, but the habit has to stop first. If the tongue keeps pushing forward, the teeth will drift open again after treatment. This is the same lesson we see with gaps between front teeth, covered in our guide to teeth gap filling cost in Kolkata: treat the cause, or the problem comes back.
What Happens If You Leave It
A mild bite problem can be left alone if it does not bother you. A moderate or severe one tends to cost more later, because the damage it causes is slow and quiet:
- Uneven wear and chipping on the teeth that take the most force
- Jaw joint pain, clicking or headaches from a jaw that closes off-centre
- Gum damage where lower teeth bite into the palate in a deep overbite
- Protruding upper teeth are more likely to break in a fall or sports injury
- Difficulty biting and chewing certain foods
Children vs Adults: Timing Matters
The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a child's first orthodontic check by age 7. That does not mean braces at 7. It means an orthodontist can spot a narrow jaw, a crossbite or an underbite while the jaws are still growing and can still be guided. Problems that need simple appliances at 8 can need surgery at 25.
Adults are not too late. Teeth move at any age, and many of our braces patients are in their twenties, thirties and forties. Adult treatment simply takes a little longer and, for jaw-based problems, has fewer non-surgical options.
At Teeth Care, bite cases are assessed by our consultant orthodontist, Dr. Jeet Singh, BDS, MDS. The first visit includes a bite examination and X-rays, so you find out whether your problem is in the teeth or the jaw before you are quoted anything.
Bite Correction Cost in Kolkata
Bite problems are corrected with the same braces and aligners used for crooked teeth, so the cost depends on the appliance you choose and how complex your bite is. Current starting prices at our five branches:
| Treatment | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Metal braces | From INR 55,000 | All bite problems, including complex cases |
| Ceramic braces | From INR 85,000 | Same results with tooth-coloured brackets |
| Clear aligners | INR 1,20,000 to INR 4,00,000 | Mild to moderate overbite, crossbite and open bite |
Most bite cases take 12 to 24 months, and complex ones can run longer. Treatment time and the final figure are confirmed after your examination. For a detailed breakdown of brackets, brands and EMI options, read our braces cost guide for Kolkata, and if you are deciding between wires and aligners, our comparison of invisible braces vs metal braces lays out the trade-offs. You can also see how invisible braces work at our clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a small overbite normal?
Yes, an overlap of about 2 to 3 mm is normal and needs no treatment.
What is the difference between overbite and buck teeth?
Overbite is vertical overlap, while buck teeth (overjet) means the upper teeth stick out forward.
Can an overbite be fixed without braces?
Mild overbites can be corrected with clear aligners, but severe jaw-based cases may need surgery with braces.
How long does bite correction take?
Usually 12 to 24 months, depending on the type of bite and its severity.
Can adults fix an underbite?
Yes, mild cases with braces alone, while severe skeletal cases need braces combined with jaw surgery.
What causes an open bite?
Usually thumb sucking, long pacifier use or tongue thrusting, sometimes combined with jaw shape.
At what age should a child's bite be checked?
By age 7, when a narrow jaw or crossbite can still be guided with simple appliances.
How much does overbite correction cost in Kolkata?
Metal braces start at INR 55,000, ceramic at INR 85,000 and clear aligners at INR 1,20,000.
Not Sure Which Bite Problem You Have?
Get a bite examination with our orthodontist at any of our 5 Kolkata branches: New Town, Chinar Park, Ballygunge, Dunlop and Charnock.
Book Consultation NowMedically reviewed by Dr. Sanket Chakraverty, B.D.S., M.D.S. Prices are starting prices for 2026 and are confirmed after an examination. This article is general information and does not replace a consultation.
