Orthodontic treatment of patients with open bite: Current aspects and new
perspectives
Prof. Moschos A. Papadopoulos
Abstract
Open bite malocclusions represent a significant percentage of orthodontic cases treated in the clinical practice. In general, the etiology of open bite malocclusion
can be multifactorial, and the treatment can be challenging for the clinician. Dental
factors, skeletal discrepancies, functional disturbances, soft tissue factors, habits
or a combination of the above, could be associated with the presence of this
orthodontic malocclusion.
Treatment goals depend on the etiology of the problem, and individual diagnostic
assessment is considered essential to obtain a successful therapeutic outcome.
The maturity stage of the patient is also important, especially in cases where
skeletal discrepancies are present and residual growth may cause alterations in
the occlusion and jaws in the vertical dimensions.
Depending on the above, treatment of open bite cases may include among others
the use of orthodontic/orthopedic appliances or appliances for the discontinuation
of habits, the use of mini-implants or mini-plates for molar intrusion, extractions of
teeth, or orthognathic surgery.
In most of the cases the use of multibracket appliances is combined consecutively,
or simultaneously with the above modalities or approaches, while lately the use of
clear aligners is advocated by many clinicians.
The aim of this lecture is to discuss the various alternatives for the treatment of
open bite, giving special attention to the use of skeletal anchorage and clear
aligners.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the multifactorial etiology of open bite malocclusions
- Evaluate treatment modalities for open bite correction based on patient-specific
factors - Apply contemporary treatment techniques including skeletal anchorage and
clear aligners in open bite management