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Algorithm for the differential diagnosis of posterior open bites: two illustrative cases
Mitchell W Ponsford1, John P Stella
1Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Mesa, AZ, USA. mitch.ponsford@gmail.com
Purpose:
Posterior open bites can result from several causes: trauma, degenerative changes, tongue thrust habits, single-tooth ankylosis, multiple-tooth ankylosis, and/or condylar hyperplasia. Occasionally, posterior open bites are secondary to a combination of condylar hyperplasia and dental ankylosis, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat because of the large array of causative problems.
Materials And Methods:
This article presents 2 unusual cases of posterior open bite secondary to multiple etiologies in adolescent male patients. A useful method of algorithmic diagnosis, treatment, and protocol is presented that was used for these cases.
Results:
The 2 cases were successfully diagnosed and treated using the formulated algorithm for posterior open bites.
Conclusions:
The algorithms presented facilitate the differential diagnosis of posterior open bites with ambiguous etiology.
