Front-block technical note: dental and bone borne distractors.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics
• Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Background:

• The front-block (segmental osteogenesis distraction of the anterior mandible alveolar process) technique was introduced in 2001.
• This method addresses anterior mandibular alveolar process deficiencies, including lower incisors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the technical aspects of the front-block distraction process.
• To highlight the use of both dental-borne and bone-borne distractors in this technique.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a dental-borne distractor and a bone-borne distractor (genioplasty plate).
• Emphasized the dual distraction vectors: dental and alveolar.
• Focused on achieving controlled segmental osteogenesis translation.

Main Results:

• The technique provides good stability during distraction.
• Achieved controlled segmental osteogenesis translation.
• Enabled sufficient alveolar segmental transport without overloading the teeth.

Conclusions:

• The front-block technique offers a stable and controlled method for anterior mandibular alveolar distraction.
• The dual distraction vector approach effectively manages bone transport while minimizing dental stress.