An overbite is how far the upper front teeth cover the lower ones when the back teeth are together. An underbite runs the other way, with the lower front teeth
An overbite is how far the upper front teeth cover the lower ones when the back teeth are together. An underbite runs the other way, with the lower front teeth sitting ahead of the upper ones. Both are relationships between the jaws rather than one crooked tooth. That is why they behave differently from crowding, and why the patient's age changes the plan so much. This page explains each bite in plain English and what a deep bite or an underbite does over the years. It covers why a growing jaw opens options an adult plan does not have, and where treatment lands in the published cost bands. We are a free independent matching service: licensed Ashburn orthodontists assess, quote and treat.
An overbite describes how far the upper front teeth cover the lower ones with the back teeth closed. A small overlap is healthy and normal. A deep bite means the lower front teeth are covered too far, sometimes until they press into the gum behind the upper teeth.
An underbite runs the other direction. The lower front teeth sit ahead of the upper ones, usually because the lower jaw is forward, the upper jaw is behind, or both. A crossbite is the same kind of mismatch on one side, with the upper teeth biting inside the lower ones rather than outside.
The key point is that these are relationships between the jaws rather than a single tooth out of line. That is why the orthodontist looks at how the back teeth meet as well as the front. A bite correction and a crowding correction are timed and priced differently.
The damage from these bites is slow and cumulative rather than sudden, which is why the assessment is about what is happening rather than about what hurts today.
None of that happens overnight. It is the argument for assessing a bite rather than waiting for a symptom, particularly where the cause sits in the jaw rather than in the teeth.
An underbite in a child is the clearest case of timing changing the answer. While the jaws are still growing, an orthodontist can guide that growth with appliances that bring the upper jaw forward or hold the lower jaw back. Once growth finishes that door closes, and the same bite becomes a different problem.
An adult underbite is therefore treated differently. Where the mismatch sits mainly in the teeth, braces or aligners can often correct it. Where the jaw relationship itself is significant, the straight answer may be that braces alone cannot fix it, and a surgical step joins the plan. That conversation belongs at a consultation rather than in a website comparison.
A deep bite behaves differently again, because the correction is mostly about moving teeth rather than guiding growth. Even so, treating it while a child still has growing years can be simpler. Loudoun County Public Schools opened the 2026-27 year with about 80,000 students. After-school slots fill early, and starting over a summer keeps the first adjustment visits outside the term.
The consultation starts with records, meaning photographs, X-rays and a scan or impression of the teeth and bite. For a bite problem the orthodontist then reads those records for a short list of things.
Cost and retention belong in the same appointment. Ask for the total fee in writing. Ask what it includes, how the payment plan works, whether the practice files the insurance claim, and whether retainers are inside the total.
What is offered depends on whether the jaw or only the teeth are involved, and on the patient's age.
Whichever route is chosen, the phase after treatment matters as much as the treatment. Retention follows a bite correction the same way it follows any case, usually with a fixed wire behind the front teeth, a removable retainer, or both.
Bite corrections use the standard appliances, so the published bands below apply.
| Appliance type | Published range (source) | Insurance share where covered |
|---|---|---|
| Metal (standard) braces | $3,000 - $7,500 | $1,500 - $3,750 |
| Ceramic braces | $2,000 - $8,500 | $1,000 - $4,750 |
| Clear aligners (Invisalign) | $3,000 - $7,000 | $1,500 - $3,500 |
| Lingual braces | $5,000 - $13,000 | $3,500 - $9,250 |
| Comprehensive orthodontic treatment | $3,000 to more than $10,000 | A second published source puts the overall range at $3,000 to more than $12,000 |
| Braces paid privately | up to about $7,000 | Published ceiling for braces without insurance |
One case sits outside that table rather than inside it. Where an adult's jaw relationship has to be corrected surgically, the surgical fee is separate from the orthodontic fee. Both figures have to be requested, from the practice and from the surgical team.
Insurance is the part that surprises families. Where a plan covers orthodontics the published share is roughly half. Many plans cap the benefit with a lifetime orthodontic maximum, and Healthline notes that most dental insurers exclude adult orthodontics.
No published source carries an average orthodontic fee for Ashburn, and this page does not state one. What moves a number inside those bands is the case rather than the town. A short round on a mild problem and a two-year plan with an extraction are not the same purchase. Ask each practice for a written fee schedule that lists what the total covers, records, appliances, every adjustment visit, removal and retainers. If a retainer is not inside the total, ask its price separately, because our sources publish no retainer price at all.
In a growing child the answer is often yes, because the jaws can be guided while they are still developing. In an adult, clear aligners or braces may correct a mismatch that sits mainly in the teeth. Where the jaw relationship itself is significant, surgery may join the plan. The orthodontist decides after records.
Wear and gum irritation build up without pain, so a comfortable deep bite can still be worth a look. The signs to watch are worn front teeth, a lower front tooth pressing into the gum behind the uppers, or jaw tiredness. Records and an examination confirm what is really happening.
An early evaluation around age seven is the common guidance. By then the first permanent molars and front teeth have come through, and a growing jaw can still be guided. A crossbite, an underbite that is developing, or a habit that is moving the front teeth are all reasons to book sooner rather than later.
The published ranges put metal braces at $3,000 to $7,500 and ceramic braces at $2,000 to $8,500. Clear aligners run $3,000 to $7,000 and lingual braces $5,000 to $13,000. Comprehensive treatment runs $3,000 to more than $10,000, and GoodRx puts the wider range at $3,000 to more than $12,000. A surgical case carries a separate surgical fee.
Yes. Retention follows a bite correction the same way it follows any orthodontic case. It usually means a fixed wire behind the front teeth, a removable retainer, or both, on a schedule the treating orthodontist sets. Our sources publish no retainer price, so ask whether the first set sits inside the quoted fee and what a replacement costs.
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