How Much Overbite should I have after Invisalign Treatment?

When most people hear the word “overbite,” they assume it’s a bad thing — something that needs to be corrected. But in reality, a normal overbite is not only healthy — it’s essential for protecting your teeth and guiding your bite.

So, what exactly is an overbite?

An overbite refers to the vertical overlap of your upper front teeth over your lower front teeth when your mouth is closed. It’s commonly confused with overjet, which is the horizontal distance between the front surfaces of the upper and lower teeth.

To be clear:

• Overbite is vertical — how far down the upper incisors cover the lower ones
• Overjet is horizontal — the distance from the facial surface of the upper anterior teeth to the facial surface of the lower anterior teeth

In a healthy, functional bite, the upper front teeth should overlap the lower front teeth by about 2 to 3 millimeters vertically, or roughly 10% to 20% of the height of the lower incisors. This amount of overlap plays several important roles:

• It protects the edges of the lower front teeth from chipping or wearing down
• It ensures your back teeth can contact properly during chewing
• It helps guide your jaw into a centered, stable position

Too little overbite — also called an edge-to-edge bite — puts excess pressure on the incisal edges of both arches and leads to long-term chipping and wear. Too much overbite (deep bite) may cause enamel erosion behind the front teeth, gum trauma, and even TMJ strain. That’s why a moderate overbite is both functional and protective.

How Is Overbite Measured?

Dental professionals usually assess overbite in one of two ways:

1. Millimeters — measuring how far the upper incisal edge extends down over the lower front teeth
2. Percentage — estimating how much of the visible height of the lower anterior teeth is covered by the uppers when in full closure

While this can be done visually or with a ruler, Invisalign cases often use digital scans and software to track this precisely at every stage of treatment.

Why Patients Get Confused

Some Invisalign patients expect their front teeth to end up in a perfectly straight line, edge to edge — but this is actually not ideal. A small overbite is critical to:

• Reduce wear on the teeth
• Allow proper anterior guidance
• Support a healthy occlusion in the back

A finished case with no vertical overlap may look symmetrical in a photo but function poorly in real life.

In Summary:

A normal overbite is 2–3 mm or 10–20% vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the lower front teeth. It’s a sign of a balanced bite — one that not only looks good but supports long-term function, protection, and comfort.

Finishing Invisalign treatment is supposed to feel like the final step in perfecting your smile. But what happens if your bite still feels “off”? Maybe your front teeth overlap more than you expected — or maybe they don’t touch at all. In either case, it’s worth asking:
What are the risks of having too much or too little overbite after Invisalign?

Let’s break it down.

🔴 Too Much Overbite (Deep Bite)

A deep bite means your upper front teeth cover too much of your lower front teeth — sometimes 50% or more. In extreme cases, the lower teeth may not be visible at all when you bite down naturally.

While Invisalign can correct a deep bite during treatment, it can also fail to open the bite properly if the case wasn’t planned or tracked closely enough. This often happens in cases where:

• Elastics weren’t worn as prescribed
• Posterior teeth weren’t intruded correctly
• The patient had natural deep bite tendencies that weren’t addressed

Risks of excessive overbite after Invisalign include:

• Excessive wear on lower front teeth
• Impingement of lower teeth into the upper palate
• Difficulty cleaning crowded or partially hidden teeth
• Increased risk of TMJ strain from lack of anterior guidance
• Relapse as the jaw continues to push into the overbite due to muscle patterns

🔵 Too Little Overbite (Edge-to-Edge or Open Bite)

On the other end of the spectrum, patients sometimes finish Invisalign with little to no vertical overlap between the upper and lower front teeth — an edge-to-edge or anterior open bite.

At first glance, it may look like a great result: teeth lined up perfectly, no crowding, no rotation. But this “flat” finish causes functional problems.

Without an overbite:

• The front teeth hit edge to edge every time you speak, chew, or clench
• Enamel chips or fractures are more likely
• No anterior guidance exists to protect the back teeth, increasing wear in the molars
• The TMJ lacks a stable endpoint, which may lead to joint fatigue or discomfort

This outcome can happen when:

• There was overcorrection of a previous deep bite
• The trays over-extruded lower teeth
• The upper teeth were retracted too far back, eliminating overlap
• A posterior open bite masked the problem during refinement

⚠️ When You Feel It, Even If You Can’t See It

Sometimes, the issue isn’t obvious visually — but you feel it:

• Clicking or tension in the TMJ
• A feeling that your teeth “don’t fit together” anymore
• Lower teeth touching too early, or not at all
• Bite feels too “tight” or too “loose” in the front

That’s why post-Invisalign patients should always have their functional bite evaluated, not just the cosmetic alignment.

In summary, too much or too little overbite after Invisalign may not be just a cosmetic concern — it could indicate a functional imbalance that affects your teeth, TMJ, and long-term oral health.

After completing Invisalign, your teeth may look straighter — but how can you tell if your bite is actually healthy? A good outcome isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about long-term function. And when it comes to your overbite, subtle details matter.

So how do you know if your overbite is within a healthy range?

✅ 1. Evaluate the Vertical Overlap

A healthy overbite means your upper front teeth overlap your lower front teeth by about 2–3 mm or 10–20% of the lower teeth’s visible height. This overlap provides a functional barrier to:

• Protect your lower teeth from edge trauma
• Guide your bite into centric position
• Prevent excessive force on the back teeth

You can check this yourself in a mirror. Bite down gently and look at your front teeth from the side. If your upper teeth barely overlap or fully cover your lower teeth, it may be a sign your overbite is off.

🚩 2. Watch for Functional Symptoms

Even if your smile looks great, your bite may be sending signals that something’s not quite right. Pay attention to symptoms like:

• Clicking or popping in the jaw
• Soreness in the TMJ area
• Teeth that feel like they hit too early or unevenly
• A sensation that your teeth “don’t rest comfortably” together
• Tooth sensitivity or unexpected chipping

These are red flags that your overbite — or lack of it — is affecting how your jaw functions.

🔬 3. Get a Professional Bite Analysis

At KYT Dental Services, we don’t just look at your teeth — we examine the function of your bite. After Invisalign, this includes:

• Articulated models or 3D scans to assess how your teeth contact
• Digital bite mapping to see pressure points during chewing
• TMJ screening for clicking, asymmetry, or deviation
• Reviewing whether the overbite matches your jaw anatomy and airway needs

Sometimes a bite looks good on paper but still causes instability. A proper evaluation helps catch this before it leads to TMJ symptoms or enamel damage.

🦷 4. Understand the Role of Anterior Guidance

A healthy overbite contributes to anterior guidance — when your front teeth guide the jaw forward and protect your back teeth during movement. If your front teeth are edge-to-edge or have no overlap, your molars may absorb all the force, leading to wear or joint issues.

We often see patients who finished Invisalign with “perfect-looking” teeth but no anterior guidance — and within a year, they begin noticing joint tension, tooth wear, or bite shifting. This is why form must follow function.

🟢 5. Ask These Questions After Treatment:

• Do my front teeth overlap just slightly, or not at all?
• Do my teeth come together smoothly, without sliding?
• Is there any tension in my jaw, even if it’s minor?
• Has my bite shifted since finishing Invisalign?

If any of these feel off, it’s time for a second look — because overbite issues often go unnoticed until symptoms appear.