Description
Anterior open bite
“There is no contact and no vertical overlap of the upper and lower incisor crowns when the jaws are in full occlusion.”
– Houston et al. 1996
Clinical appearance of an anterior open bite
Anterior open bite from a sagittal view
There are two types of anterior open bites: Dental open bite and Skeletal open bite.
A dental open bite caused by thumb sucking. Note the facial height is normal. Incisors are usually proclined. (Adapted from Reddy and Dawjee 2019)
A skeletal open bite caused by a multitude of factors (discussed in diagnosis). Note the facial height is long and a steep mandibular border is present. Incisors are usually upright/retroclined. (Adapted from Tavares and Allgayer 2019)
