Meta analysis, of stability of anterior open bites, Feb AmJO 2011

G. M. Greelee et al, performed an interesting meta analysis on a topic that is quite hot, for the orthodontic world. Anterior open bite patients and the stability of closure treatments wether this is a surgical or a non surgical approach. This meta analysis is published at the current issue of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics


The initial search was done at PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, gray zone literature and hand searching. It was performed using the abstracts of 105 articles initially.


From those 21 articles met the criteria. The articles that were excluded did not have:

• 12months or more of long term follow-up of the final treatment outcome
• Insufficient registration data (overbite measurements for example)

From the meta analysis of those 21 studies the results are quite interesting. Bare in mind that the studies were divided to two groups. Those of cases with surgical closure of the anterior open bite, and those of cases that the treatment protocol followed was non surgical.

• Stability for closure of anterior open bite was at a percentage of 75% and more, for both surgical and non-surgical approaches.
• No significant difference at the prevalence of relapse was found between surgical and non surgical protocols.
• The authors mention of the diversity of the studies and the need for further better structured randomized control clinical trials for a higher level of evidence results.
• The lack of control groups is mentioned as a fact and limitation, for most of the studies included in this meta analysis.

Reference:

American Journal (AmJO)

Article Abstract

D.G.