Underbite Correction in Encinitas, CA

An underbite is fixable — the approach depends on your age and anatomy.

An underbite means your lower front teeth bite in front of your upper ones. The good news: it's correctable at any age. In children, early intervention can help redirect jaw growth. In adults, several approaches exist — from camouflage orthodontics, often with orthodontic elastics, to surgical orthodontics if the difference is severe. Dr. Liatti evaluates your jaw relationship with a 3D CBCT scan and explains which approach will work best for you.

Book Your Free Consultation Treatment options →
Understanding Underbite

What Is an Underbite?

An underbite is a bite where the lower front teeth sit in front of the upper front teeth. The degree varies: some underbites are mild and primarily cosmetic, while others are severe enough to affect chewing, speech, and breathing.

Some underbites are purely dental: the jaws are in balance, but crowded upper teeth have tipped back, spaced lower teeth have tipped forward, or missing upper teeth have let the upper arch sit back. Others are skeletal: the lower jaw grew too far forward, the upper jaw grew too far back, or both — usually genetics.

What matters for treatment is the cause — whether the underbite comes from tooth position or jaw position, and with that, whether it can be corrected with braces and rubber bands alone or needs something more. This is why Dr. Liatti uses a CBCT scan to measure the jaw relationship, not just look at the teeth.

Find out what's driving your underbite — and what would actually fix it. The evaluation is free.

Book Your Free Consultation
Early Intervention

Underbite Correction in Children

If an underbite is caught early — ideally by age 7 or 8 — Dr. Liatti can help guide the jaws into a better relationship while growth is still happening — sometimes with braces and rubber bands alone, sometimes with palatal expansion and growth guidance. This is called interceptive or early treatment, and it's often the most efficient approach.

When the upper jaw needs help coming forward, Dr. Liatti uses reverse-pull headgear — a facemask worn part-time that gently pulls the upper jaw and teeth forward — in carefully selected cases, often together with an expander. The two work as a team: expansion loosens the bone, so the facemask produces more change than it would on its own. These approaches take advantage of the child's growth — something adults no longer have.

Early treatment doesn't always eliminate the need for braces later, but it often simplifies the comprehensive phase and produces better long-term results. Dr. Liatti monitors growth and jaw development at every visit; if an underbite is trending the wrong direction, he'll recommend early intervention before the problem becomes more severe.

Adult Options

Underbite Correction in Adults

Camouflage orthodontics

Sometimes correcting tooth position is enough to fix an underbite. For mild cases where the skeletal difference is small, braces or Invisalign — usually with orthodontic elastics — can compensate by positioning the teeth differently: the lower front teeth move back, the upper front teeth move forward, and the bite comes together.

Surgical orthodontics

For severe underbites where the skeletal difference is large, surgical orthodontics is the most comprehensive approach. Braces align your teeth first, a surgeon repositions your jaws to correct the skeletal relationship, and braces finish the bite. It's more involved than other options, but it produces results non-surgical approaches can't achieve for severe cases — and because the jaws themselves are repositioned, it brings the biggest improvements in facial balance and profile of any approach.

Note

Many adults are surprised to learn they're a candidate for orthodontic treatment alone — the free evaluation tells you which path fits your case.

Airway Connection

Underbite and Breathing

An underdeveloped upper jaw — one that sits too far back — can restrict upper airway space, especially when combined with other factors like mouth breathing, low tongue posture, or adenoid enlargement. This is one reason Dr. Liatti evaluates airway health as part of every comprehensive assessment.

If you or your child snores, experiences sleep apnea symptoms, or has restricted breathing, addressing the underbite may improve airway function — particularly in children, where early growth guidance can preserve airway space and prevent sleep-disordered breathing from developing. You're not just correcting a bite — you're supporting health.

How We Diagnose

How Dr. Liatti Evaluates an Underbite

1

Clinical Exam

Dr. Liatti examines your teeth, bite, jaw position, and how your jaws move, assessing whether the underbite appears dental or skeletal.

2

3D CBCT Imaging

A CBCT scan provides a 3D view of your teeth, jaws, and airway. Dr. Liatti measures the skeletal relationship precisely — how far forward or back each jaw sits, the degree of discrepancy, and whether the airway is restricted.

3

Growth Assessment (if applicable)

In children and teens, Dr. Liatti evaluates remaining growth potential. This determines whether growth guidance is possible and how much time there is to work with growth.

4

Treatment Plan

Based on severity, growth, airway, and your goals, Dr. Liatti recommends the approach that will produce the best result, and explains what's possible, what each option costs, and how long it takes.

What our patients say.

I recently finished my orthodontic treatment at Encinitas Orthodontics. I had an underbite but now it’s perfect. Dr. Liatti’s treatment method to move my teeth considered my overall health instead of just how the teeth looks, unlike other orthodontists who…
Huy V. · Google
We have been to several other orthodontists in the north county area for braces for my other two kids, but I switched to Dr. Liatti at Encinitas Orthodontics for my third child’s braces and he is unquestionably the best in the business!
Beth T. · Google
We love Dr. Liatti and his amazing staff! Our older son was treated for airway restriction/sleep apnea, and our younger son for a crossbite that would have permanently damaged his adult teeth.
Britta · Google
We consulted with multiple orthodontists before and after meeting Dr. Liatti. We live quite far (1 hour drive) but it was 100% the right decision. Each of our children have received personalized care and treatment plans.
Bennett B. · Google
Dr. Liatti and his staff came in and saved me from a previously horrible Invisalign experience. Within two weeks, I had a new treatment plan (done the correct way with the latest technologies from a board certified orthodontist) and a new caring, funny…
Demetra B. · Google
I just finished my journey with braces through Encinitas Orthodontics/Dr. Liatti. He and his team are friendly and very knowledgeable.
Pam H. · Google
Read More Patient Reviews
Location

Serving North County San Diego & beyond.

Encinitas Orthodontics is located at 317 N El Camino Real, Suite 203, in Encinitas, CA — serving families from across North County San Diego and the greater San Diego area who are looking for underbite correction.

Patients visit from Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, and Oceanside.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Underbite Correction

What causes an underbite?
An underbite means the lower front teeth bite in front of the upper front teeth. Sometimes the jaws are in balance and tooth position alone creates it: crowded upper teeth tipped back, spaced lower teeth tipped forward, or missing upper teeth. Other times the cause is skeletal — the lower jaw grew too far forward, the upper jaw grew too far back, or both. Dr. Liatti evaluates the skeletal and dental components with a 3D CBCT scan to determine what’s driving the underbite.
Can braces fix an underbite?
It depends on what’s causing it. When the underbite is dental — tooth position rather than jaw position — braces, often with rubber bands, can correct it at any age. When the cause is skeletal, the options change: in growing children, Dr. Liatti can help guide jaw growth, in selected cases using reverse-pull headgear with palatal expansion; in adults with mild skeletal differences, camouflage orthodontics — braces or Invisalign with elastics — can compensate. Severe skeletal underbites in adults may call for surgical orthodontics. Dr. Liatti will explain which approach is right for your case.
At what age should an underbite be treated?
Early evaluation is important. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first check by age 7 — not because 7-year-olds need braces, but because jaw growth problems are easiest to redirect while growth is still happening. If an underbite is detected early, Dr. Liatti can guide growth in a better direction — in selected cases with reverse-pull headgear and expansion, potentially avoiding or simplifying treatment later. In teens with remaining growth, intervention is often most effective. Adults can still address underbites, though the options depend on how severe the skeletal difference is.
Can adults get underbite correction?
Yes. Sometimes correcting tooth position is enough — camouflage orthodontics with braces or Invisalign, usually with elastics, works well for mild cases. For severe skeletal differences, surgical orthodontics repositions the jaws themselves and brings the biggest improvements in function, airway, and facial balance. Dr. Liatti will evaluate your specific anatomy and explain what each approach can achieve.
Does an underbite affect breathing or airway?
In some cases, yes. An underdeveloped, backward-positioned upper jaw can restrict the upper airway space, especially when combined with mouth breathing or low tongue posture. This is one reason why early intervention in children is valuable — addressing the jaw relationship early can help preserve or improve airway space. Dr. Liatti evaluates your airway as part of every comprehensive assessment and factors airway health into his treatment recommendations.
What is MARPE and how does it help an underbite?
MARPE (miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion) is an expander anchored to the palate with small miniscrews, which lets it widen the adult upper jaw without surgery. Widening tends to bring the upper jaw slightly down and forward as a side effect, but that movement usually isn’t enough on its own to correct an underbite. When MARPE has a role in an adult underbite plan, it’s one piece of a larger plan — in carefully selected cases combined with protraction. Dr. Liatti will tell you whether it applies to your case.
What is surgical orthodontics for underbite?
Surgical orthodontics is a combination of braces and jaw surgery, used for severe underbites where the skeletal difference is too large for teeth alone to correct. Braces align the teeth first, then a surgeon repositions the jaw to correct the underlying skeletal discrepancy, and braces fine-tune the bite afterward. It’s a comprehensive approach that produces results camouflage orthodontics alone can’t achieve. Dr. Liatti will explain whether surgical orthodontics is indicated for your case during your evaluation.
How long does underbite correction take?
Timeline varies by approach. Growth guidance and expansion in children might take a year or two, followed by comprehensive treatment later if needed. Camouflage treatment with braces or Invisalign typically takes about 18 to 24 months. When expansion is part of an adult plan, treatment usually runs from about a year and a half to a bit over two years start to finish — and it varies case to case. Surgical orthodontics takes longer, with treatment before and after surgery. Dr. Liatti will give you a realistic timeline during your consultation based on your specific case.
The Short Version

An underbite is correctable — but the best approach depends on your age and how severe it is.