When the front teeth never met

Before treatment — in their own words

In his own words: because his teeth did not touch, he could not cut his food properly at the front, and he tended to sleep with his mouth open. Both pointed to the same picture — an open bite kept open by oral habits and the way he rested his tongue.

The clinical picture

Examination showed an anterior open bite with a tongue-thrust pattern and a skeletal Class III tendency. The tongue posture was holding the front teeth apart and would work against any correction unless it was retrained alongside the tooth movement. The back teeth had over-erupted in a way that propped the bite open at the front. Cavity screening was completed before starting.

The plan

Invisalign to intrude (push down) the back teeth so the jaw could rotate closed and the front teeth could finally meet, combined with myofunctional retraining for the tongue-thrust habit. Skeletal anchorage on the upper and lower arches was considered to support the molar intrusion, and all four wisdom teeth were planned for removal. Closing an open bite is only half the job — keeping the habit corrected is what makes it last.

The outcome

After twenty-four months the front teeth met for the first time he could remember, and biting through food at the front became normal. With the tongue habit retrained, the correction held rather than drifting back open. Honest expectations were set throughout — open bites need committed retention — and he left understanding that the retainers are part of the result, not an afterthought.