Stability of early treatment of anterior open bite: clinical performance of bonded lingual spurs

Abstract

Anterior open bite (AOB) is a malocclusion that generates aesthetic, speech, feeding and psychological issues, a fact that emphasises the importance of conducting early treatments to fix the disorder. Finger-sucking, pacifiers and oral habits are the main aetiological factors of AOB; thus, it is necessary to apply interceptive treatments focused on correcting and improving bite stability during childhood in order prevent the need of undergoing advanced therapy. The aim of this article is to present the early diagnosis of aetiological factors causing severe AOB and the interceptive treatment based on the use of bonded lingual spurs for one year. Results showed excellent bite stability after two years of follow-up; in other words, the proper treatment applied for the recommended growth and developmental periods enabled case stability.