2020 Winter Conference - Open Bite: Are We Treating the Right Causes?

Anterior open bite is considered one of the malocclusions of most difficult treatment, especially regarding stability. The literature presents many researches on this subject, but with controversial information. There are disagreements on the definition of open bite, its etiology and types of treatment. Possibly, the lack of consensus on the etiology of the anterior open bite may have led to different types of treatment and can be the explanation for the high level of relapse of this malocclusion. The purpose of this presentation is to review the concepts of anterior open bite focusing on etiology, treatment methods and their stability and present criteria for the diagnosis and treatment of this malocclusion, based in its etiology, with examples of treated cases, stable for over 10 years.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the etiological factors for anterior open bite.
  
• Analyze different tongue positions at rest and its implication on open bite treatment.
  
• Evaluate the importance of function on open bite treatment stability.