One of the functions of bite blocks is the intrusion of the posterior segment which provokes a mandibular autorotation that successfully closes open bites. Among orthodontic movements, intrusion is one of the most violent and painfuL due to the compression of the apical nerves and blood vessels upon alveolar bone.
These blocks can be place in the upper and lower dental arches, and they can be fixed or removable.We generally
make them with acrylic and they must not cover the posterior braces. The ideal period for placement is around
9-12 years of age, when the second permanent molar has not completed its eruption; this does not mean that it can
not be used after this age, but it is the period in which can obtain the best results.
In case there are no fixed appliances, we can extend the acrylic to the buccal aspects of bicuspids and molars; it can
be combined with a rapid maxillary expander (RME). It must be used 24 hours a day for 6 to 8 months.