The use of computer-assisted corticotomy to enhance surgical procedures

Abstract

In recent years, several surgical techniques have been proposed with the main goal of reducing the length of orthodontic treatment. Some of these techniques use a piezoelectric surgical instrument to perform alveolar bone cuts and promote localized bone turnover. One of the main limitations of these surgical techniques is that corticotomies may damage dental roots since traditional radiographic examinations do not allow the surgeon to precisely determine the length and three-dimensional position of the roots. In this case report, the authors aim to describe a method in which, starting from the patient's CBCT dicom files, they were able to plan the location and depth of the bone cuts and to build a surgical guide to be used during piezoelectric bone surgery. In addition, the technique and final results are described, as well as a two-year follow-up showing stable results.

Keywords: Adult patient; CT; Class III treatment; Computer-assisted corticotomy; Corticotomy; Lingual.