Early vs late orthodontic treatment of deepbite: a prospective clinical trial in growing subjects

Introduction: The aim of this prospective clinical trial was to compare the outcomes of prepubertal vs pubertal treatment of deepbite patients with a protocol including biteplane and fixed appliances. Methods: A sample of 58 subjects with deepbite completed the study. A total of 34 subjects received treatment with removable biteplane appliances in the mixed dentition at a prepubertal stage of skeletal maturation (early treatment group), and 24 subjects were treated at a pubertal stage of skeletal maturation in the permanent dentition (late treatment group). All subjects of both groups were reevaluated after an average period of 15 months after the completion of fixed appliance therapy. Treatment outcomes were assessed statistically after a phase with removable biteplane appliances and at the posttreatment observation. Results: Treatment duration was significantly shorter in the early treatment group than in the late treatment group. Overbite reduction was significantly greater in the late treatment group (-3.1 mm) than in the early treatment group (-1.4 mm). In the late treatment group, 92% of the patients had a corrected overbite 1 year after therapy. Conclusions: Treatment of deepbite at puberty in the permanent dentition leads to significantly more favorable outcomes than treatment before puberty in the mixed dentition.