Stability of anterior open bite cases treated with upper and lower extrusion arches in adults: a follow-up study.

Objectives: To investigate the post-treatment stability of anterior open bite (AOB) cases treated with upper and lower extrusion arches in adults.

Materials and methods: 23 patients with AOB were treated with extrusion arches and evaluated for dentoskeletal changes using lateral cephalometric radiographs before treatment (T0), after treatment (T1), and 12 months post-treatment (T2). Patients received bondable tongue spurs and vacuum-formed retainers as post-treatment retention/stability measures for 12 months. Post-treatment stability was further assessed qualitatively by the Photographic Openbite Severity Index.

Results: All the cases showed positive overlap between the anterior teeth at the end of orthodontic treatment, and 20 of 23 treated patients attended the recall visit after 12 months. A total of 85% of the cases maintained positive overlap at least 1 year post-treatment, 10% showed edge-to-edge bite, and only 5% showed no overbite.

Conclusions: Treatment of AOB in adults with extrusion arches proved to be stable 1 year post-treatment. Changes in the overbite after 1 year of follow-up were not significant.