What's the big difference between an skeletal open and a dental open bite?

Great question Ryan.  When we see open bites, we try to determine their etiology or cause.  This helps us figure out the best way to correct it and maintain it afterwards.  An open bite typically  means that the front teeth can not touch together when you bite all the way down.  It makes it difficult and almost impossible to eat things many of us enjoy...like corn on the cobb.  When you bite in to a sandwich, you might leave the lettuce behind because your teeth can't grasp it.  Following are generalizations, but it should help clear things up.Skeletal open bites: evidenced by only the very last molars touching when you bite.  have a diverging growth pattern as scene on a lateral head x-ray, or even visually.  In other words, the jaws are growing apart rather than in parellel with each otherare sometimes accompanied by breathing/airway issues.are much for difficult to correct and may require surgical assistance by moving one or both jaws into the correct position.if you try to close it with orthodontic (elastics) and no surgery, it is likely to return once treatment is complete.Dental open bites:evidenced by the only front six or eight teeth not touching when you bite.may or may not have a diverging growth pattern.some type of habit has contributed to the open bite, such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, a forward tongue posture (or just a large tongue).more easily corrected with orthodontics (elastics).long term maintenance is more predictable, so long as the habit or other cause has ceased. Even though I mentioned that a tongue habit goes along with a dental open bite, it is quite common that in skeletal open bites for the person to hold their tongue in a forward position between their front teeth...just because there is always a space there.  In either case, it is important that either before or during treatment the tongue position and any habits that may be contributing are taken care of by either the orthodontist or a speech therapist.With either type, these are some of our most challenging cases.  They are treated totally different than other more typical cases.  Brackets are put on differently.  Different mechanics are used, etc.   Understanding their cause and treating appropriately is imperative to the doctors success.  A customized retention protocol that may be unique to you is critical.