CBCT analysis of mandibular position and bilateral symmetry in adult female patients with a deep overbite before and after flat bite plate treatment: a retrospective study

To determine whether three-dimensional measurements can assess symmetry and mandibular position with greater accuracy than traditional two-dimensional measurements.

Mimics 19 software was used for three-dimensional measurements of 20 adult female patients’ cone-beam computed tomography with deep overbite before and after flat bite plate treatment. Differences in mandible position and bilateral symmetry were assessed using the paired t test.

Three-dimensional measurements showed that the condylar distance in the pogonion–Frankfort horizontal, pogonion–coronal, right and left gonion–coronal planes was significantly higher after flat bite plate treatment. However, flat bite treatment did not affect the distance between the vertex of the condyles and the gonion of each measurement reference plane. After flat bite plate treatment, the mandibles of adult female patients had rotated backward and downward, with the condyle as the centre; the chin had been backward. Bilateral symmetry remained unchanged.

Flat bite plate treatment in adult female patients resulted in a downward and downward rotation of the mandible, with the condyle as the centre, chin backward, and no significant change in bilateral symmetry.