ANGLE ORTHODONTIST, vol.78, no.4, pp.737-744, 2008 (SCI-Expanded)
This case report presents orthodontic treatment with miniplate anchorage accelerated by osteotomy-assisted maxillary posterior impaction in a severe open bite case. A 14-year-old girl with a severe anterior open bite was treated by intrusion of the maxillary posterior teeth. A segmental osteotomy was applied, and the miniplates were fixed to the zygomatic buttress area. The intrusive force was applied with nickel-titanium closed coil springs using a force of 250 g between the miniplates and the upper first and second molar buccal tubes. The intrusion was completed 2.5 months after osteotomy. The treatment was continued with the fixed orthodontic appliances and completed after 12 months. At the end of treatment, optimal occlusion and the correction of the anterior open bite were achieved. The maxillary molars were impacted 4.0 mm, and the mandibular plane showed a counterclockwise autorotation of 3.0 degrees. The results showed that osteotomy-facilitated orthodontic treatment clearly reduced the treatment time and had no adverse effects. In conclusion, this one-stage osteotomy technique can be an effective option to help molar intrusion in severe open bite cases.