Corticotomy: New Dimension to Surgical Orthodontics

Malpositioned teeth are responsible for esthetic and occlusal aberrations in many adults. Patient often skips orthodontic treatment because of longer treatment time. Increased orthodontic force does not increase root movement, because the periodontal tissue cannot overcome the resistance of alveolar bone without any damage to periodontal ligament. ′When are you taking off my braces?′ This is probably the question most often addressed to orthodontists. The search for this efficiency, to shorten treatment time without forgoing optimal results is corticotomy. The process of bone metabolism takes time due to which the orthodontic treatment is prolonged. The purpose of corticotomy is to increase the rate of retraction by generation of local osteopenia in bone, which reduces the bone resistance to the tooth movement, thereby reducing the treatment time. My article describes the case reports of two patients that were treated with corticotomy.