title: Comparison of electrosurgery with conventional fiberotomies on rotational relapse and gingival tissue in the dog.
abstract: The relapse tendency of orthodontically rotated teeth after electrosurgical circumferential fiberotomies and after conventional scalpel blade surgical procedures was demonstrated with a split-mouth procedure involving the maxillary second incisors of five mongrel dogs. The second incisors were rotated orthodontically an average of 63.5 degrees over a 4-month period. Electrosurgical circumferential fiberotomies were performed on the designated second incisors, and circumferential fiberotomies with a scalpel blade were performed on the contralateral incisors. The teeth were retained for 1 month and relapse was measured 2 months postretention. Wound healing was demonstrated by measurement of sulcus depths and facial gingival recession preoperatively and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 weeks after surgery. In both groups, the sulcus depths had decreased about 2 mm and the facial gingiva had receded 0.3 mm 9 weeks after surgery. Two months postretention there was an average 25% relapse in the teeth treated by means of a circumferential fiberotomy with a scalpel blade compared to an average 23% relapse in those treated by means of a circumferential fiberotomy with electrosurgery. No significant difference was seen between the two techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, New Orleans.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rankine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004598:Electrosurgery; D004846:Epithelial Attachment / Q000601:surgery*; D005881:Gingiva / Q000601:surgery*; D005888:Gingival Pocket / Q000473:pathology; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000473:pathology; D010519:Periodontium / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery