title: Pulpal blood flow: effects of corticotomy and midline osteotomy in surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion is used for the management of transverse maxillary deficiency in the early permanent dentition. The success depends on the maintenance of an adequate blood supply to the mobilized segments. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of corticotomy and midline osteotomy on the tooth pulpal blood flow.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laser Doppler flowmetry was applied as a non-invasive and reliable technique for the assessment of pulpal blood flow in the maxillary centrals, canines and first molars. The blood flow was investigated pre- and postoperatively, on the first, third, and seventh postoperative days bilaterally in 13 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of this study indicate that ischaemia of the pulp can occur following osteotomy at the Le Fort I level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corticotomy 5mm above the dental apices and separating the midpalatal suture did not have any serious effect on pulpal blood flow in this study.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Orthodontics, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey. mozturk@cumhuriyet.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doruk
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozeç
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Babacan
authors.forename: A Altuğ
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Biçakci
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003393:Cranial Sutures / Q000601:surgery; D003481:Cuspid / Q000098:blood supply; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000098:blood supply; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000295:instrumentation; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D008963:Molar / Q000098:blood supply; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D019340:Osteotomy, Le Fort / Q000009:adverse effects; D010155:Palatal Expansion Technique; D021362:Palate, Hard / Q000601:surgery; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome