Skeletal and dental Class II malocclusion, with anterior open bite and accentuated overjet

Abstract

Open bite is defined as a deficiency in normal vertical contact between antagonist teeth and may manifest in a limited region, or more rarely throughout the entire dental arch. If the lack of contact between teeth is located in the incisor and/or canine region when occlusion is in centric relation, it is called anterior open bite (AOB). Some studies have demonstrated that AOB is strongly associated with non-nutritional sucking habit. This article relates the treatment of a female African-Brazilian patient, with 20 years and 7 months of age, who presented Angle's Class II, division 1 malocclusion, AOB, accentuated overjet, lingual interposition during swallowing and difficulty with pronouncing some phonemes. Orthodontic treatment began by mounting an Edgewise Standard fixed appliance system, with a fixed palatal crib appliance and extraction of maxillary first premolars. This case was presented to the Brazilian Board of Orthodontics and Facial Orthopedics (BBO), as part of the requisites to become a BBO Diplomate. © 2012 Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics.