Directional force treatment for an adult with Class III malocclusion and open bite

The orthodontic treatment of an adult patient with a Class III malocclusion and an anterior overbite is presented. Successful treatment required a differential diagnosis, specific planning, and careful control of the force systems to correct the disharmony in the vertical and horizontal dimensions. Fundamental to the successful treatment was the direction of the force applied to the teeth with a J-hook headgear. This directional force application made it possible to successfully correct the malocclusion without undesirable sequelae.