Journal of Dental Medicine

Statement of Problem: Reduction of orthodontic therapy treatment time is considered an important goal in the management of malocclusion in adult patients. Corticotomy- facilitated orthodontic treatment may be considered an intermediate therapy between orthognatic surgry and conventional orthodontics for reducing treatment time.
Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the rate of tooth movement of upper canine following corticotomy with conventional method.

Materials and Methods: Ten young adult patients, 17-25 years old was selected through sequential sampling procedure in orthodontics department of Shiraz Dental School. The patients exhibited different orthodontic problems and needed extraction of premolars. Following extraction of premolars and initial phase of orthodontic treatment, corticotomy were performed unilaterally on buccual and palatal sides of extraction area as described by Takami. The other imoperated sides were used as control. After subsiding the resultant inflammation, the activated NiTi spring was used and measurement of the amount of tooth movement were assessed by using Rugae as reference point. The panoramic radiographs were super imposed for evaluation of canines tipping. For analyzing the results, Kolmogorou- simirnov and t.tcst were used.
Results: The rate of canine tooth movement was much greater in the corticotomy sides than the unoperated (control) side (P=0.015). This was especially significant at the end of first week of tooth movement (P=0.000). Comparing the two sides, the amount of canine tipping was much lesser in corticotomy group than the control group (P=0.046). There was no significant difference concerning the anchorage loss between the two groups (P=0.410).
Conclusion: Corticotomy procedure had a positive effect on the rate of tooth movement with less tipping of the canines comparing to conventional orthodontic treatment. To get more benefit from this procedure, it is recommended to select those patients who do not need canine alignment after premolars extraction, such as bimaxillary dento alveolar protrusions.