Is Open Bite Highly Recurrent? How to Care for Your Teeth After Orthodontic Treatment (feat. Retainers)

Hello.

This is Ceramic Dental Clinic at Hakdong Station.

Among orthodontic cases, “open bite”

has been considered difficult to treat and highly prone to recurrence,

so in the past, surgery was sometimes performed together with orthodontic treatment.

That is why even now,

some people still ask,

"If I have an open bite,

can it be treated with braces alone without surgery?"

To answer first,

with today’s orthodontic technology,

the majority of open bites can be adequately treated

without surgery.

Today, I’ll explain in detail

misconceptions about open bite,

the reasons it is seen as “difficult to treat,”

and how to manage it

to help prevent recurrence.

1. What is an open bite?

An open bite is a condition in which,

when you close your teeth,

the front teeth or molars do not touch

and remain open.

The causes can be broadly divided into two categories.

▶️ Congenital factors

– genetics or skeletal issues

▶️ Acquired factors

– bad oral habits (tongue thrusting, mouth breathing, etc.)

Open bite

These factors can cause

the following problems.

✔️ Mouth breathing → dry mouth → increased risk of periodontal disease

✔️ Functional problems with pronouncing sibilant sounds (such as ㅅ, ㅈ, ㅊ)

✔️ Using molars instead of front teeth → molar wear

In other words, it can affect

not just appearance,

but overall oral function.

2. Reasons open bite has a high recurrence rate

Among the patients who came to our clinic,

there was one person who finished orthodontic treatment 10 years ago

but recently came back because the front teeth had started to gap again.

It turned out that

removal of the fixed retainer

several years earlier had been the cause.

As such,

even after orthodontic treatment ends,

wearing a retainer is very important.

Fixed retainer

In addition, the existing habit of

“tongue thrusting” had not been fully corrected,

and that also appears to have contributed.

In other words, open bite recurrence can be said to happen due to

-> deformation of physical appliances and

-> problems with individual daily habits.

Therefore,

if you maintain regular checkups

and good habits properly,

you do not need to worry too much.

3. Tips to help prevent open bite recurrence

During orthodontic treatment, open bite can recur

when a gap reappears during the “extrusion process,”

which pulls the teeth downward.

In the past, surgery was sometimes performed to address this problem,

but since the introduction of “mini-screws (orthodontic screws),”

we have been achieving good results without surgery as well.

Mini-screw

Tongue-thrust prevention device

After that,

to prevent the open bite from recurring,

the following methods are used.

✔️ Use mini-screws to move the molars upward

✔️ Form proper oral habits (such as a tongue-thrust prevention device)

The claim that open bite is “difficult to treat”

is not true.

Open bite is not just about tooth alignment,

but a complex bite problem that affects overall oral function.

Most importantly,

what matters is an accurate diagnosis, consistent management,

and a willingness to improve habits.

If you are worried about open bite,

don’t worry alone,

and take the first step toward change

through a consultation with a specialist.

So that you can maintain a healthy and beautiful smile for a long time,

we will work with you under a systematic plan.

We support your proper bite

and your confident smile :)

If you’re wondering what kind of malocclusion you have,

whether you currently need orthodontic treatment,

or if you’re curious or concerned about your condition,

please apply through the “Consultation Request Page” below 🥰

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