What is Open bite?
Open bite is the condition in which the teeth of the upper and lower jaw do not rest on each other when the mouth is closed. This problem can be skeletal, dental or a combination of both.
Causes of Open bite
It might be due to hereditary causes, pathological (endocrine) disorders, habits (such as finger sucking) that were maintained for a long time during development but also from constant mouth breathing due to scoliosis of the nasal septum or hypertrophic adenoid crevices (enlarged adenoids).
Moreover, people with a large tongue may have anterior open bite (such as people with Down syndrome, Beckwith Wideman, etc.).
Open bite can cause insufficient or painful chewing and even speech disorder. It can even lead to more serious problems such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made by the dentist after a clinical examination and Xrays, while the treatment, depending on the cause, is performed by an orthodontist.
Open bite Before & After
See the evolution of the orthodontic treatment of an actual patient with open bite.
