Botulinum toxin-A injection into the anterior belly of the digastric muscle for the prevention of post-operative open bite in class II malocclusions: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Class II malocclusion patients with hyperdivergent facial types are characterized by short mandibular body lengths and anterior open bite. Accordingly, the treatment for hyperdivergent skeletal class II malocclusion is a lengthening of the mandibular body length and a counterclockwise rotation of the mandible. To prevent post-operative relapse, botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injection can be a retention modality. CASE PRESENTATION: A class II open-bite patient received BTX-A injection to the anterior belly of her digastric muscle for the prevention of post-operative relapse. The relapse was evaluated via a clinical examination and a lateral cephalometric radiograph after the completion of post-surgical orthodontic treatment. The patient showed stable occlusion without any signs of relapse at 15 months post-operatively. CONCLUSION: In this case presentation, a single injection into the anterior belly of the digastric muscle was sufficient for the prevention of post-operative open bite.