Cone-beam computed tomography study of root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients

This study aimed to explore the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology in patients with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ open bite, aiming to provide a reference for clinical treatment.

This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from the patients. CBCT images of eighty-one untreated patients (40 anterior open bite patients and 41 normal overbite patients) with high-angle skeletal Class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected before treatment. Dolphin software was used to study the root length of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth and central incisor crown-root morphology, and the differences between the two groups were analyzed.

There was no statistical significance in the root length of maxillary lateral incisor and canine between the open bite group and the normal overbite group, significant differences were found in the root length of maxillary central incisor (11.12 ± 1.37) mm、mandibular central incisor (10.15 ± 1.09) mm, mandibular lateral incisor (11.27 ± 1.15) mm and mandibular canine (12.81 ± 1.48) mm between the open bite group and the normal overbite group (P＜0.05) . On the other hand, the two groups were significantly different in crown-root morphology of the maxillary central incisor (1.10° ± 3.62° vs. 4.53° ± 2.30°, P＜0.01) but not in the mandibular central incisor.

The root length of the maxillary central incisor, mandibular central incisor, mandibular lateral incisor, mandibular canine in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients is shorter than that in high-angle Class Ⅱ normal overbite patients, and the long axis of the crown of the maxillary central incisor in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients obviously deviates toward the labial side relative to the long axis of the root. The crown-root angle is smaller, which is beneficial to torque control or adduction movement of the anterior teeth in high-angle Class Ⅱ open bite patients.