Yes — in carefully selected cases, an underbite can be corrected without braces or jaw surgery using full-arch Zirconium crown rehabilitation. A case I treated at Smile Dental Turkey in April 2026 demonstrates complete bite correction across 24 Zirconium crowns, combined with seven root canals and eight fillings, for a total of £4,977.81 — achieved in a single trip from the UK.
Why I’m Writing This
In over 20 years of practice, one of the most common misconceptions I encounter from international patients is that an underbite always requires either years of orthodontic treatment or jaw surgery. That is true for severe skeletal cases. But for a significant subset of patients — particularly those who also need full-arch restoration — restorative dentistry alone can correct the bite, eliminate pain, and deliver a complete aesthetic outcome simultaneously.
This case, treated in April 2026, is one of the clearest examples I can point to. I’m sharing the full clinical detail, cost breakdown, and patient outcome so that anyone researching this treatment path has accurate, specific information to work from.
The Patient: Underbite, Severe Decay, and Daily Pain
A UK patient — referred to here as W.T. to protect his privacy — found Smile Dental Turkey through our Google reviews and contacted us for a consultation. When he arrived in Antalya in April 2026, his presenting complaints were:
- Malocclusion (Class III underbite): lower teeth sitting edge-to-edge or slightly in front of upper teeth
- Severe active decay across both arches, causing significant daily pain
- Multiple infected teeth requiring root canal intervention before any restorative work could begin
- One non-restorable tooth in the lower jaw requiring extraction
Why the sequence matters: An underbite left untreated causes progressive enamel erosion, uneven bite force distribution, and long-term temporomandibular joint (TMJ) strain. When compounded by active infection, it creates a clinical situation where cosmetic or restorative work cannot begin safely until the infection is cleared. Placing a crown over an infected root without prior root canal treatment typically results in restoration failure within 12–18 months.
Phase 1: Foundational Treatment — Infection and Decay Clearance
Before any bite correction or aesthetic work, my team completed the following:
| Treatment | Quantity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Root Canal Treatments | 7 | Lower jaw |
| White Fillings | 6 | Upper jaw |
| White Fillings | 2 | Lower jaw |
| Tooth Extraction | 1 | Lower jaw |
This is the phase most dental tourism content skips — because it is unglamorous and doesn’t photograph well. But it is clinically the most important part of a case like this. Without it, nothing else holds.
“W.T. arrived in significant discomfort. Our first priority was not his bite or his smile — it was eliminating his pain and securing the health of every tooth we intended to restore. Only once that foundation was solid could we design the correction.” — Uğur Gültekinler, D.D.S., Smile Dental Turkey
Phase 2: Underbite Correction with 24 Zirconium Porcelain Crowns
The Clinical Approach
Conventional underbite correction involves either:
- Orthodontics (braces or aligners): 18–36 months average treatment time
- Orthognathic jaw surgery: 6–12 weeks recovery, typically £15,000–£30,000+ in the UK
In W.T.’s case, because he required full-arch restoration across both jaws regardless, we had an opportunity to achieve bite correction through the crown design itself — without either of those interventions.
The solution: 24 Zirconium Porcelain Crowns — 12 on the upper arch, 12 on the lower — individually designed and angled to bring the upper arch forward relative to the lower, establishing a healthy overjet and correcting the malocclusion through the restorations.
This approach works when:
- The underbite is mild-to-moderate (not a severe skeletal discrepancy)
- The patient requires full-arch restoration for independent clinical reasons
- The crown design can achieve the necessary overjet without compromising occlusal stability
All three conditions were met in W.T.’s case.
Why Zirconium for a Corrected Bite
For a bite that has been functionally repositioned, material strength matters more than in a standard cosmetic case. Zirconium dioxide crowns offer:
- Flexural strength of 900–1,200 MPa — compared to 100–400 MPa for porcelain-fused-to-metal, and approximately 70 MPa for natural enamel
- Biocompatibility with gingival tissue, reducing inflammation risk at the crown margin
- Natural light transmission that replicates the translucency of real enamel
- Long-term occlusal durability — essential when the jaw musculature is adapting to a new bite position
Aesthetic Choices
W.T. selected:
- Shade 1M1 — a bright, clean white that reads as natural rather than artificial
- Natural Style shape — proportioned to his facial anatomy, avoiding the over-squared appearance common in purely cosmetic “Hollywood smile” cases
Night Guard: The Step Most Clinics Skip
Because W.T.’s jaw muscles needed time to adapt to the newly corrected bite position, we fabricated a custom night guard before he returned home. This is a clinically critical step in any bite-correction case. Without it, nocturnal grinding places asymmetric force on the new crowns during the adaptation period — significantly increasing fracture risk in the first 6–12 months.
Full Itemised Cost Breakdown (GBP, April 2026)
Upper Jaw Treatment
- 12 × Zirconium Porcelain Crowns/Veneers — £2,340.00
- 6 × White Fillings — £414.00
- 1 × Night Guard — £65.00
- Subtotal: £2,819.00
Lower Jaw Treatment
- 12 × Zirconium Porcelain Crowns/Veneers — £2,340.00
- 7 × Root Canal Treatments — £483.00
- 2 × White Fillings — £138.00
- 1 × Tooth Extraction — £42.00
- Subtotal: £3,003.00
Total Investment
- Gross Total: £5,822.00
- Combined Discounts (5% + 10%): −£844.19
- Total Treatment Amount: £4,977.81
UK Cost Comparison
| Treatment | Turkey (Smile Dental Turkey) | UK Private Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Root Canals | £483 | £3,500–£7,000 |
| 8 White Fillings | £552 | £800–£2,400 |
| 24 Zirconium Crowns | £4,680 | £24,000–£36,000 |
| Total | £4,977.81 | £28,000–£45,000+ |
UK estimates based on British Dental Association 2025 private fee guidance and published cosmetic dental price surveys.
Patient Outcome
W.T. documented his experience in a video review on the Smile Dental Turkey YouTube channel. His reported outcomes:
- Pain: Arrived in significant discomfort — left entirely pain-free
- Bite: Corrected. No orthodontic or surgical follow-up required
- Overall experience: VIP airport transfers, consistent updates from the clinical team throughout, and time to explore Antalya between appointments — which he described as having “plenty to do and plenty to eat”
FAQ: Underbite Correction with Crowns
Who is a candidate for underbite correction via crowns — not surgery? Patients with a mild-to-moderate underbite who already require full-arch crown restoration for clinical reasons (decay, infection, worn dentition). Severe skeletal underbites — where the jaw bones themselves are significantly misaligned — still require orthognathic surgery regardless of restorative treatment.
How long do Zirconium crowns last on a corrected bite? With proper maintenance and a night guard, Zirconium crowns have a clinical lifespan of 10–15+ years in most patients. The risk factor unique to bite-correction cases is the adaptation period in the first year — which is why the night guard is non-negotiable in our protocol.
What warranties does Smile Dental Turkey provide? We provide written treatment warranties on all restorations. Terms vary by treatment type and are provided in full before any work begins.
How do I start the process as a UK patient? We offer free online consultations and will produce an itemised treatment plan in GBP before you book any travel. For those who prefer everything arranged upfront, our Turkey teeth packages bundle treatment, VIP airport transfers, and hotel accommodation into a single transparent cost. WhatsApp, email, and video consultation options are all available by contacting us.
Is treatment in Turkey regulated and safe? Turkey’s dental sector operates under Ministry of Health oversight and the Turkish Dental Association regulation. Our clinical team hold accredited university degrees and has treated international patients for over a decade. We publish full case studies, verified patient reviews, and before-and-after galleries — all available at smiledentalturkey.com.
About the Author
Uğur Gültekinler, D.D.S. graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry in İzmir, Turkey in 2003. He is co-founder and Lead Smile Designer at Smile Dental Turkey, Antalya — one of Turkey’s most advanced dental clinics serving international patients from the UK, Ireland, and Northern Europe. He specialises in cosmetic dentistry, full-mouth rehabilitation, and digital smile design, with particular expertise in Zirconium crown and veneer work. He is fluent in Turkish and English.
This article is based on a verified patient case treated at Smile Dental Turkey in April 2026. Patient identity is protected; initials used with consent. Clinical data sourced from treating clinic records. UK cost comparisons reference British Dental Association 2026 private fee guidance.