Stability of anterior openbite correction with multiloop edgewise archwire therapy: A cephalometric follow-up study

Abstract

Successful treatment of anterior openbite malocclusion is considered one of the most challenging areas in orthodontics. This study was designed to evaluate the treatment effects of the multiloop edgewise archwire therapy in openbite correction and to investigate the stability of correction during a 2-year follow-up period. The subjects consisted of 55 white patients who presented with anterior openbite. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: the growing group included 29 patients and the nongrowing group included 26 patients. The lateral cephalograms were analyzed for skeletal, esthetic, and dentoalveolar changes. Analysis of the pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric radiographs revealed that the overbite increased an average of 4 mm in both the growing and the nongrowing groups. Analysis of the posttreatment and follow-up cephalometric radiographs proved that the treatment results obtained by this therapy were very stable. The changes in overbite during the 2-year follow-up period were not significant. (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2000;118:43-54)