Are temporary anchorage devices truly effective in the treatment of skeletal open bites?

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of temporary anchorage devices (TADs) in the treatment of skeletal open bites and to compare the results with untreated controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of forty patients with skeletal anterior open bites were assigned to two groups of twenty each. The mean chronological age for the treatment group (14 female, 6 male) was 16.68 ± 2.80 years old, compared with 16.63 ± 2.83 years old for the control group (11 female, 9 male). Titanium miniplates fixed bilaterally to the infrazygomatic crest area were used as TADs and intrusive forces were applied to the posterior teeth with Ni-Ti coil springs. The treatment and normal growth changes were evaluated using 24 measurements (2 angular, 22 linear). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in Bx, By, Sn/GoGn, Ax-Bx, U6x, U6y, overjet, overbite, SN/OccP, N-Me, Ans-Me, S-Go/N-Me, interpremolar width, and intermolar width (P < 0.05). In the treatment group, statistically significant upper molar intrusion (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 3.59 ± 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.96–4.22), posterior rotation of the occlusal plane (mean ± SD, 3.42 ± 2.17; 95% CI, 2.39–4.43), anterior rotation of the mandible (mean ± SD, 2.25 ± 1.91; 95% CI, 1.36–3.14), and resultant overbite improvement (mean ± SD, 4.82 ± 1.53; 95% CI, 4.10–5.53) were found (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mild to moderate skeletal anterior open bites could easily be treated with TADs without orthognathic surgery. With the rigid anchorage of miniplates, true molar intrusion of up to 4 mm was achieved. With molar intrusion, anterior rotation of the mandible and a significant reduction in anterior face height were determined.