[Alveolar osteotomy and rapid orthodontic treatments]

When combined with orthodontics, selective periodontal decortication has been shown to be clinically effective in eliminating severe malocclusions three to four times more rapidly than conventional orthodontic treatment. Our technique combines surgical scarring of the cortical bone on both labial and lingual sides of the teeth to be moved, with an augmentation graft to increase alveolar volume. Alveolar spongiosa undergoes rapid transformation as the body attempts to heal the wounds to the cortices resulting in marked tissue turnover. The patient is seen every two weeks and most cases are completed within six months of orthodontic treatment. Moreover, this technique significantly expands the scope of treatment in resolving many skeletal problems such as openbites and severe maxillary constrictions, conditions typically relegated to orthognathic surgery. Clinical outcomes research has shown that the immediate post treatment results settle better during retention and that the long term results become more stable. These facts are likely due to the high tissue turnover induced by decortication as well as the thicker cortical bone resulting from the augmentation grafting.