Combined orthodontic and restorative correction of severe anterior open bite

This article describes a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of a severe skeletal anterior open bite, complicated by severe chronological enamel hypoplasia, in a 12-year-old southern Chinese girl. Correction of the open bite, of which the cause was unknown, involved the extraction of all first permanent molars and provisional repair of the wafer-thin enamel to permit bonding of fixed orthodontic brackets. Several phases of maxillary and mandibular fixed appliance therapy followed. As the open bite resolved, further restorative treatment was performed. The result was stable 3 years after the end of retention. This case demonstrates the benefits of well-planned, integrated, multidisciplinary treatment.