Open bite

Anterior and posterior open bite

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) defines open bite in its Glossary of Orthodontic Terms and divides it by where the gap is: “A malocclusion in which teeth do not make contact with each other. With an anterior open bite, the front teeth do not touch when the back teeth are closed together. With a posterior open bite, the back teeth do not touch when the front teeth are closed together.” Anterior is the front of the mouth and posterior the back, so the full name tells you where the teeth fail to meet.

The Blue Grass appliance, the glossary’s example

The AAO glossary’s example of something an orthodontist may use for an open bite is the Blue Grass appliance, which it describes this way: “Used to help in the correction of a tongue thrust. Helps the patient retrain the tongue when swallowing, and can help correct an open bite.” The verbs are the glossary’s own and they are measured: the appliance helps, and it can help. It is an example from a glossary, not a description of any patient’s treatment, and whether an appliance of any kind suits a particular open bite is for the orthodontist to decide.

Habits the AAO links to a front open bite

The AAO’s article on common types of bite problems lists habits among the possible causes of an open bite at the front: “This can result from habits such as thumb sucking, improper tongue positioning, or mouth breathing during early dental development.” The key word is can, since the article names possible causes, not a cause that every open bite shares.

How an open bite is treated is answered on the open bite answer page, and the full glossary lists the other bite words.