Alveolar corticotomies: principles and clinical applications

Orthodontic treatment typically lasts about two years. This has led to the development of new techniques, such as corticotomies, which help speed up orthodontic tooth displacement. The corticotomy technique consists of a surgical procedure on the cortical bone surrounding the teeth needing to be moved. The result is decreased medullary bone density and increased bone turnover. These biological processes trigger acceleration of the bone displacement while also enabling displacements which exceed the usual limits of orthodontic treatment and even, on occasion, help avoid orthognathic surgery. Corticotomy opens up new prospects for adult orthodontic treatment.