Presentation Category
Research
Introduction/Context/Diagnosis
Background: Deep bite is a type of malocclusion that can lead to problems with bite, mastication, speech, and has the potential to damage teeth and gums. While conventional orthodontic treatments have been shown to be effective in addressing this condition, the use of clear aligners for this purpose has not been fully explored in the current scientific literature. Objective: The objective of this retrospective longitudinal study is to evaluate the treatment effects of clear aligners in patients with deep bite malocclusion by examining the dental and skeletal changes between the initial and final treatment time points. Our null hypothesis states that there are no significant differences between the two-time points for the variables studied.
Methods/Treatment Plan
The patient selection included males aged 18 and above, and females aged 16 and above, with overbite greater than 4 mm, and classified as hyperdivergent/normal or hypodivergent. Both lateral cephalometric radiographs and digital models were measured and analyzed at two timepoints: before treatment (T1) and after treatment (T2). Measurements included conventional cephalometrics, curve of Spee, intermolar distance, intercanine distance, overbite, and overjet.
Results/Outcome
A total of 1928 clear aligner patients were screened, and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 60 patients were evaluated for changes in their clear aligner treatment. Our null hypothesis was rejected, specifically, the measurements taken at T1 and T2 revealed statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in the SNA, interincisal angle, occlusal plane, and L1-NB.
Significance/Conclusions
This study demonstrates that clear aligner treatment can effectively improve dental alignment and correct deep bite malocclusion. It is worth noting that the primary means of correction was through incisal inclination, as opposed to other types of tooth movement.
Format
Event
Treatment of Deep Bite Using Clear Aligner Therapy
Background: Deep bite is a type of malocclusion that can lead to problems with bite, mastication, speech, and has the potential to damage teeth and gums. While conventional orthodontic treatments have been shown to be effective in addressing this condition, the use of clear aligners for this purpose has not been fully explored in the current scientific literature. Objective: The objective of this retrospective longitudinal study is to evaluate the treatment effects of clear aligners in patients with deep bite malocclusion by examining the dental and skeletal changes between the initial and final treatment time points. Our null hypothesis states that there are no significant differences between the two-time points for the variables studied.
Comments/Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Department of Orthodontics of the University of the Pacific, which provided the sample treated in this study.