The anterior gap is defined by a lack of contact between the upper and lower dental arches.
It is mainly due to the persistence of infantile swallowing during and after childhood, i.e. interposition of the tongue between the two dental arches.
Patients presenting with an anterior gap in adulthood are likely to develop functional sequelae (masticatory difficulties, dental loosening, periodontal disease, etc.) and aesthetic sequelae (edentulous smile, excess height of the lower third of the face compared to the upper and middle third).
Patients who are diagnosed with this condition very often benefit from orthodontic-surgical treatment, comprising a period of orthodontics followed by orthognathic surgery to close the anterior gap. This is combined with lingual re-education to treat infantile swallowing. This lingual re-education is not always carried out, either because infantile swallowing has not been diagnosed, or because of a lack of cooperation on the part of the patient, or because of difficulties in finding a suitable specialist. When rehabilitation is introduced, it is sometimes only after surgery, and for a short time.
For example, it has been observed that among all patients undergoing orthognathic surgery, those with an anterior gap were particularly at risk of surgical treatment failure, or recurrence in the short to medium term.
The main reason cited was the persistence of infantile swallowing and consequent malpositioning of the tongue between the dental arches, creating permanent pressure on the lingual surface of the teeth and eventually leading to recurrence of the gap.
Identifying patient management factors associated with postoperative recurrence of anterior hollowness in patients with infantile swallowing would enable us to adapt the management of these patients.