Nonsurgical management of the anterior open bite: a review of the options.

The open bite malocclusion has been described as being of 2 types: dental and skeletal. Proper differentiation is essential in determining the appropriate corrective measures. Dental open bites are generally more responsive to treatment with orthodontics alone, whereas skeletal open bites often require a combination of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery. Patient selection and treatment principles for nonsurgical open bite treatment are discussed, and a review of various methods of treatment for the skeletal open bite is presented. Posttreatment stability and retention concerns are addressed.