Skeletal Anchorage System for Open-bite Correction

A skeletal anchorage system was developed for tooth movements. It consists of a titanium miniplate that is temporarily implanted in the maxilla or the mandible as an immobile anchorage. In this article, we introduce the skeletal anchorage system to intrude the lower molars in open-bite malocclusion and evaluate the results of treatment in two severe open-bite cases that underwent orthodontic treatment with the system. Titanium miniplates were fixed at the buccal cortical bone around the apical regions of the lower first and second molars on both the right and left sides. Elastic threads were used as a source of orthodontic force to reduce excessive molar height. The lower molars were intruded about 3 to 5 mm, and open-bite was significantly improved with little if any extrusion of the lower incisors. No serious side-effects were observed during the orthodontic treatment. The system was also very effective for controlling the cant and level of the occlusal plane during orthodontic open-bite correction.