Open Bite Treatment in Las Vegas & Henderson
An open bite is one of the few orthodontic problems where fixing the teeth without fixing the cause reliably fails.
What an open bite is
An open bite is where teeth fail to meet when you bite together, leaving a visible gap. The usual form is an anterior open bite — the back teeth touch but the front teeth do not, so you cannot bite through a sandwich with your incisors.
Less commonly it occurs at the back, where the front teeth meet but some posterior teeth do not.
What sets open bite apart is how strongly it is driven by ongoing forces rather than by the position of the teeth alone. A thumb, a tongue, or a resting posture applying light pressure for hours a day will hold teeth apart, and will pull them apart again after treatment if nothing changes. That is why we treat the cause first, and why an orthodontist who does not ask about habits is missing the point.
What holds an open bite open
Thumb and finger sucking
The classic cause. Sustained sucking physically holds the front teeth apart during the years they are settling. Stopping early often allows spontaneous correction with no treatment at all.
Tongue thrust
A swallowing pattern where the tongue pushes forward between the teeth rather than up against the palate. It happens hundreds to thousands of times a day, and light constant force is exactly what moves teeth.
Low resting tongue posture
Distinct from thrusting. If the tongue habitually rests forward or low, it holds teeth apart passively for many more hours than swallowing ever does.
Mouth breathing
Often linked to enlarged tonsils or adenoids or chronic allergies. It changes tongue posture and the way the jaws grow, and treating the airway can be part of the answer.
Jaw growth pattern
Some patients have a skeletal growth direction that opens the bite at the front regardless of habits. These are the harder cases and the ones most prone to relapse.
Prolonged pacifier or bottle use
Same mechanism as thumb sucking, same window, and generally easier to stop.
What an open bite affects
You cannot bite properly
Front teeth that do not meet cannot shear. Patients compensate by tearing food or using the back teeth, which many only notice once it is pointed out.
Speech is often affected
Sounds requiring the tongue to meet the front teeth — s, z, th — are commonly altered. In children, an open bite and a lisp frequently arrive together.
Overloading the back teeth
If only the molars meet, they absorb all chewing force. Over years that accelerates wear and can contribute to cracking.
Jaw muscle fatigue
Chewing with a compromised bite requires more muscular effort, which some patients experience as tiredness or aching.
High relapse risk if the cause remains
Untreated tongue thrust or continued thumb sucking will reopen the bite after treatment. This is why habit work is not optional here.
How open bite is treated
What is achievable depends heavily on whether growth is still available. This is why the timing of an evaluation matters.
In children
Address the habit first. A gentle fixed habit appliance interrupts thumb sucking or tongue thrusting — not as punishment, simply removing the sensation that makes it satisfying. Many children then correct spontaneously without braces at all. Where mouth breathing is involved, we may suggest an ENT opinion alongside.
In teenagers
Habit work still comes first where a habit persists, often alongside myofunctional therapy to retrain tongue posture. Braces then close the bite, with elastics or auxiliaries as needed. Growth is usually still available, which helps.
In adults
Braces or aligners can close mild to moderate open bites, and aligners have a genuine mechanical advantage here since the trays cover the biting surfaces of the back teeth. Severe skeletal open bites in a fully grown adult may need orthognathic surgery. Retention is more demanding than average, and we will be direct about that.
Open Bite FAQ
What causes an open bite?
Most often a sustained habit — thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or a low forward resting tongue posture — applying light pressure over long periods. Mouth breathing and certain skeletal growth patterns also contribute. Identifying which applies to you determines the treatment.
Will my child's open bite close if they stop sucking their thumb?
Frequently yes, if they stop while the teeth are still settling, generally before about age seven or eight. Spontaneous correction is common. The longer the habit continues, the less likely it becomes and the more likely braces will be needed.
What is tongue thrust and how is it treated?
A swallowing pattern where the tongue pushes forward against or between the front teeth instead of up against the palate. It is treated with a combination of appliance therapy and myofunctional exercises that retrain tongue posture. Untreated, it will reopen an open bite after orthodontic treatment.
Can Invisalign fix an open bite?
Often, and aligners have a real advantage here — the trays cover the back teeth, which helps close the bite at the front. Severe skeletal open bites remain difficult regardless of appliance. A 3D scan determines what is realistic in your case.
Does an open bite come back after treatment?
It can, more readily than most bite patterns, and almost always because the underlying cause was not addressed. Where the habit or tongue posture has genuinely changed, results hold well with proper retention.
Does an open bite affect speech?
Commonly. Sounds that require the tongue to contact the front teeth are the ones affected, so a lisp and an anterior open bite frequently occur together. Correcting the bite often helps, though speech therapy alongside is sometimes recommended.
Is surgery needed for an open bite?
Only for severe skeletal open bites in patients who have finished growing. Most open bites, particularly those identified in childhood, are treated without surgery. Dr. Beth assesses this from your 3D scan.
Find out what is actually going on — free.
An hour with Dr. Beth, a 3D scan, and a straight answer about whether treatment is warranted, when, and what it would cost. Including “not yet” where that is the honest answer.