Mini-implant assisted orthodontic correction of lip and occlusal cant of a young adult: A case report

Patients seek orthodontic treatment to correct unesthetic and asymmetric smiles because even a minimal cant of 4 is well perceived by a layperson. This case report describes a nonsurgical orthodontic management of iatrogenic occlusal canting in a 22-year-old female, who developed it during a previous orthodontic treatment for an impacted canine. The iatrogenic cant was corrected by the intrusion of the left mandibular segment followed by extrusion of left maxillary segment using mini-implants. Mini-implants were inserted in the mandibular left buccal segment (the first between canine and premolar, the second between the second premolar and first permanent molar), and the intruded mandibular posteriors were stabilized with the help of stainless-steel ligature (0.01200 SS) tied to the mini-implant. The expected correction of the occlusal cant, asymmetric gingival and tooth exposure, and soft tissue lip cant were corrected resulting in a significant improvement in smile aesthetics at the end of orthodontic treatment. After a follow-up period of 24 months, the results were stable.