RESEARCH ARTICLE
Corticotomy-Assisted Orthodontic Treatment: Review
Ali H Hassan*, 1, Ahmad A Al-Fraidi2, Samar H Al-Saeed2
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 4
First Page: 159
Last Page: 164
Publisher ID: TODENTJ-4-159
DOI: 10.2174/1874210601004010159
Article History:
Received Date: 3/3/2010Revision Received Date: 19/5/2010
Acceptance Date: 17/6/2010
Electronic publication date: 13/8/2010
Collection year: 2010

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
Corticotomy-assisted orthodontic treatment is an established and efficient orthodontic technique that has recently been studied in a number of publications. It has gradually gained popularity as an adjunct treatment option for the orthodontic treatment of adults. It involves selective alveolar decortication in the form of decortication lines and dots performed around the teeth that are to be moved. It is done to induce a state of increased tissue turnover and a transient osteopenia, which is followed by a faster rate of orthodontic tooth movement. This technique has several advantages, including faster tooth movement, shorter treatment time, safer expansion of constricted arches, enhanced post-orthodontic treatment stability and extended envelope of tooth movement. The aim of this article is to present a comprehensive review of the literature, including historical background, contemporary clinical techniques, indications, contraindications, complications and side effects.