Bite blockers (also known as bite turbos or bite ramps) are small orthodontic attachments used with braces or clear aligners. These devices are typically made from tooth-colored composite resin, acrylic, or sometimes metal. They are bonded directly onto the biting surfaces of the back molars or the inner surfaces of the upper front teeth. Their structure, often L-shaped, triangular, or mounded, creates a physical barrier between the upper and lower dental arches.
Primary Function: Preventing Appliance Damage
The primary function of bite blockers is to protect orthodontic hardware from damage caused by the patient’s bite. In certain types of malocclusion, the upper and lower teeth meet in a way that causes one arch to bite directly onto the brackets or wires of the opposing arch. This often occurs when brackets are placed on the lower front teeth in patients with a severe overbite.
The force exerted when biting down can easily break or loosen newly bonded brackets, leading to treatment delays. Bite blockers prevent this destructive contact by becoming the sole point where the upper and lower teeth meet when the mouth is closed. This protective barrier ensures the integrity of the appliances, allowing continuous forces for tooth movement without interruption. Minimizing broken hardware keeps the orthodontic timeline on track and prevents unscheduled repair appointments.
Orthodontic Conditions Requiring Bite Blockers
Bite blockers are predominantly used to manage misalignments where vertical or horizontal overlap of the teeth poses a problem. The most frequent indication is a deep overbite (deep bite), where the upper front teeth excessively overlap the lower front teeth. This overlap sometimes covers nearly all of the lower incisors.
When a patient with a deep bite closes their mouth, the lower teeth forcefully contact the inner surface of the upper teeth or gums, inevitably striking lower arch brackets. Placing bite blockers behind the upper incisors lifts the bite, creating space between the arches to prevent this damaging contact. Bite turbos are also used to correct an anterior crossbite, where one or more upper front teeth tuck behind the lower front teeth when biting.
In crossbite cases, the blocker removes the obstruction caused by the incorrect overlap, a process often described as “jumping the bite.” This separation allows the orthodontist to move the misaligned tooth past the opposing arch without interference. Less commonly, they are used in posterior crossbite scenarios to guide the teeth into the correct side-to-side relationship.
How Bite Blockers Facilitate Tooth Movement
The therapeutic function of a bite blocker is its ability to biomechanically open the patient’s bite. By raising the entire bite, teeth not resting on the blocks are taken out of occlusion, meaning they no longer touch their opposing partners. This dis-occlusion frees the teeth from restrictive forces, allowing orthodontic appliances to work more efficiently to reposition them.
This clearance is important for allowing the lower arch to be leveled and aligned without constant resistance from the upper teeth. A common effect of this process is the relative eruption, or extrusion, of the posterior teeth. Since the back teeth are not touching, they naturally move outward from the jawbone over time to seek contact. This vertical movement helps reduce the severity of the deep bite by changing the vertical dimension of the bite. This controlled movement aids in correcting the curve of Spee, the natural curvature of the occlusal plane, which is a goal in deep bite treatment.