Etiology and treatment of anterior open bite Etiologia e tratamento da mordida aberta anterior

The term anterior open bite, which means no contact between anterior teeth, stands out in current orthodontic by the complexity of the treatment, associated with high levels of instability and recurrence. The purpose of this study is to emphasize that early etiological diagnosis is essential to the successful outcome of the technical intervention. The bibliographical study shows that, once the malocclusion in deciduous and mixed dentition is diagnosed, it simplifies the aparatology that is used, decreases the treatment time and conditions are created for a possible self-correction. In the permanent dentition, the authors recommend the removal of the etiological factor and the control of the vertical growth. The diversity of causes requires a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach. Descriptors: Open bite; Malocclusion; Mouth breathing; Dentition, primary; Dentition, permanent