Overbite Correction Surgery
 If your upper teeth extend well past your lower teeth, Oral & Facial Surgery provides overbite correction surgery for patients in Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID, with board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
An overbite is one of the most common bite irregularities, and a mild one is perfectly normal. It is the deeper, jaw-based overbites that can wear down teeth, strain the bite, and throw off the balance of the face.
Many overbites are corrected with braces or aligners alone. Surgery enters the picture when the overbite comes from the jaws sitting in the wrong relationship to each other rather than from the teeth on their own. In those cases, repositioning the jaw is what actually fixes the bite, and we handle that surgical part in close coordination with your orthodontist.
Overbite correction is one form of the jaw surgery, or orthognathic surgery, our surgeons perform. It is the mirror image of underbite correction surgery, and it relies on the same careful 3D planning to move the jaw into a healthier position.
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What Is an Overbite?
 An overbite is the vertical overlap of the upper front teeth over the lower front teeth. Almost everyone has a small overbite, and that is healthy. The concern is a deep overbite, where the upper teeth cover much or all of the lower ones, or a large overjet, where the upper teeth and jaw sit well forward of the lower, a pattern people sometimes call buck teeth.
As with most bite problems, the cause decides the cure. A purely dental overbite, where the teeth are tipped but the jaws are sound, is usually an orthodontic case that braces or aligners can handle. A skeletal overbite, where the upper and lower jaws are out of proportion, is the kind that needs surgery, because no amount of tooth movement changes where the jawbones sit.
When surgery is the right answer, it is still only half of the treatment. We reposition the jaw; your orthodontist aligns the teeth before and after with braces or aligners. We do not provide orthodontics in our office, so we work hand in hand with your orthodontist to keep the two phases on the same schedule.
Your Jaw Surgery Team in Pullman and Lewiston
Overbite correction is corrective jaw surgery, and it should sit with surgeons who do this work routinely. At Oral & Facial Surgery, Dr. Stephen W. Holm and Dr. Sherdon W. Cordova handle that surgery, both board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons trained in orthognathic, or corrective jaw, surgery.
Dr. Holm trained at Carle Foundation Hospital, served as chief resident there, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. More on Dr. Holm’s background. Dr. Cordova completed the same residency program and served as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the United States Air Force; the details are on his bio.
Corrective jaw surgery rewards planning and teamwork more than almost any other procedure we perform. Our surgeons map each overbite case in three dimensions and coordinate the timing with your orthodontist, so the surgery lands the jaw exactly where the orthodontic plan needs it.
How Overbite Correction Surgery Works
 Overbite correction unfolds in stages over many months, because the teeth and the jaw are corrected in sequence rather than all at once. Here is the usual path.
Consultation and 3D Planning
We begin with a full evaluation and a cone beam CT (CBCT) scan that builds a three-dimensional model of your jaws, teeth, and airway. From that model we plan precisely how the jaw should move, and we share the plan with your orthodontist.
Orthodontics First
In most cases, braces or aligners come before surgery. Your orthodontist levels and aligns the teeth so they will fit together correctly once the jaw is in its new position. This phase belongs to your orthodontist, not our office, and it commonly runs several months to a year.
The Surgery
Once the teeth are ready, we move the jaw into its planned position. For an overbite, that often means advancing the lower jaw, repositioning the upper jaw, or both, and we hold the bone in place with small titanium plates and screws. We perform the surgery under general anesthesia, and our surgeons are trained in everything from local anesthesia to hospital-based anesthesia.
Recovery and Finishing Orthodontics
The first week or two centers on a soft or liquid diet and easing swelling, which settles over several weeks. After the bone heals, your orthodontist fine-tunes the bite. Counting the orthodontic work on both ends, the full process usually spans one to two years, and we map that timeline with you up front.
Benefits of Correcting an Overbite
The first thing most people notice after overbite correction is the change in the profile and chin, but the benefits that last are functional.
When the bite closes evenly, the front teeth stop taking more than their share of the load, which slows the chipping and wear a deep overbite tends to cause. Chewing becomes more efficient, speech can improve, and the even contact eases the strain a misaligned bite places on the jaw joints.
We are also candid about expectations. Using your own 3D imaging, we show you the projected change before you decide, so the result is something you have already seen rather than a surprise.
Why Choose Our Surgeons for Jaw Surgery
Orthognathic surgery is a small share of what most oral surgeons do, but it is established territory for ours. Between them, Dr. Holm and Dr. Cordova bring more than forty years of surgical experience, and corrective jaw surgery is part of their regular practice.
What makes overbite correction go smoothly is preparation and coordination. We plan every case in 3D before the operating room, and because the surgery only works when it is synced with the orthodontics, we plan shoulder to shoulder with your orthodontist rather than working separately.
From two offices, we care for patients across the Lewiston/Clarkston and Moscow/Pullman regions, and we stay with you from the first scan through the final follow-up.
Overbite Surgery Cost and Insurance
Cost is a fair thing to ask about early, and we will be direct. The cost of overbite correction depends on the complexity of the case, whether one jaw or both are moved, the anesthesia involved, and the separate orthodontic treatment your orthodontist provides.
When an overbite genuinely affects function, such as chewing, breathing, or speech, it is often considered medically necessary, and many medical and some dental plans cover part of the surgery. Coverage varies, so our team reviews your benefits with you and documents the medical need. You can look over our insurance and financing options for the details.
For a personalized estimate, call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020. Remember that your orthodontist bills for the braces or aligners separately.
Schedule an Overbite Consultation
If an overbite is wearing on your teeth or your confidence, a consultation is the right first step. Call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020. You can also request an appointment online. We are at 444 Thain Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501 and 1256 Bishop Blvd Suite I, Pullman, WA 99163. For questions before you come in, you can contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an overbite and an overjet?
They sound alike but describe different things. An overbite is how much the upper front teeth vertically overlap the lower ones; an overjet is how far the upper teeth stick out horizontally past the lower, which is what people usually mean by buck teeth. A person can have one, the other, or both, and the distinction matters because it changes how the jaw is planned and moved.
Can Invisalign or braces fix an overbite without surgery?
In many cases, yes. If your overbite is dental, meaning the teeth are tipped but the jaws are in proportion, braces or clear aligners can often correct it without surgery. The dividing line is whether the jawbones themselves are the problem, and a cone beam CT scan at your consultation is what tells us. Aligners are a good fit for milder, dental overbites; surgery is reserved for the skeletal ones.
Do you provide the braces, or do I work with an orthodontist?
If you do not have an orthodontist yet, we can point you to ones we collaborate with around Pullman and Lewiston. The braces or aligners happen in their office, not ours, and our job is the surgery plus keeping its timing locked to their plan. You end up with two providers running one coordinated plan.
Is overbite correction surgery painful?
You are under general anesthesia for the procedure, so you feel nothing during it. The honest part to plan for is the days afterward: expect soreness and noticeable swelling rather than sharp pain, controlled well with the medication we prescribe. Swelling is usually the biggest nuisance, and it fades over a few weeks.
Will overbite surgery change how my face looks?
Usually yes, and often for the better, because the jaws are part of what gives the lower face its shape. Advancing a lower jaw that sits too far back, for example, can bring balance to the chin and profile. You will see the projected result in your own 3D plan beforehand, and the change usually reads as a natural, balanced version of your face rather than a dramatic one.
How long does the whole process take?
Most cases run one to two years from the first bracket to the last adjustment, because the orthodontics on either side of surgery take the most time. The pre-surgery alignment often takes six to eighteen months, the surgery itself is a single procedure, and the finishing orthodontics add a few more months. We lay out the full timeline at the consultation so there are no surprises.
Can correcting an overbite help with jaw pain or tooth wear?
It can help with the wear, and sometimes with the pain. A deep overbite concentrates force on the front teeth and strains the bite over years, so evening out the bite often slows that wear. Jaw pain has many sources, though, so we do not promise surgery will resolve it; if pain is your main concern, a TMJ evaluation is the better place to start.
Why choose Oral and Facial Surgery for overbite correction in Pullman or Lewiston?
Overbite correction is corrective jaw surgery, so experience and planning matter most. Dr. Holm and Dr. Cordova are board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons with orthognathic training and more than forty years of combined experience, and they serve both Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID. Every case is planned in 3D and coordinated directly with your orthodontist, so the surgery and the braces work toward the same result. |
