Interventions in Pediatric Dentistry: Open Access Journal
Case Report(ISSN: 2637-6636)
Effects of Tongue Cribs for the Early Treatment of Anterior
Open Bite: A Case Report Volume 8 - Issue 1
Natsuko Hichijo1*, Tadahide Noguchi2 and Yoshiyuki Mori2
1Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Children’s Medical Center, Japan
2Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Medical University, Japan
Received: July 27, 2022; Published:
August 11, 2022
*Corresponding author: Natsuko Hichijo, Assistant Professor, Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jichi Children’s
Medical Center Tochigi, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan
Background: The tongue cribs have been used to eliminate bad habits of thumb suckling and tongue thrusting. These habits are
thought to be possible causes of malocclusions, and the major one is open bite. Open bite is one of the most difficult malocclusions
to treat, and severe open bite cases would also require surgical orthodontic treatment. This article describes the orthodontic
treatment with tongue cribs for a pediatric patient with anterior open bite.
Case: Her chief complaint was anterior open bite. Overbite was -3.0 mm, and she was often confirmed the tongue thrust during
resting and talking. We started her maxillary expansion by a removable expansion plate with tongue cribs to correct anterior open
bite and encourage the permanent tooth eruption. After 26 months of active orthodontic treatment, open bite was improved, and
the eruption of permanent teeth made good progress. We suggest that the appliance with tongue cribs might be useful and effective
in the treatment of open bite, and the follow-up is necessary and very important.