Stability of open-bite treatment in adult patients: A systematic review

BackgroundAnterior open-bite in adults is a challenging malocclusion to be treated and many therapies have been advocated to increase the stability.ObjectiveReview and compile evidence for the stability of anterior open-bite treatments in adult patients.MethodsAn electronic search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Lilacs, and SciELO, from January 1989 to April 2012. The following orthodontic treatment modalities were included: with or without extraction, combined with temporary anchorage devices, and orthognathic surgery. The overbite was assessed pretreatment, posttreatment, and at least 1-year posttreatment. Studies with growing patients or reporting less than 1 year of follow-up were excluded.ResultsRandomized control trials and systematic reviews have not been identified. Mean overbite relapse was –0.6 mm in the case series group (84% stability in orthodontic cases and 86% in surgical cases) and –0.39 mm in the case series and control groups (89% stability). Orthodontic treatment with extractions seemed to be more stable than nonextraction, as well as one-jaw surgery compared with bimaxillary surgery. The available data on orthodontics combined with temporary anchorage devices is still scarce.ConclusionsScientific available data on the stability of open-bite treatment reveals only weak evidence about certain treatment modalities, which is not enough to predict the success of clinical choices.