title: Do alveolar bone defects merit orthodontists' respect?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the incidence and distribution of alveolar bony defects in the mandibular anterior area.
  
  
  METHODS
  A flap procedure was performed to expose the labial alveolar bone of the mandibular anterior area of 32 patients. The presence of alveolar defects including dehiscences and fenestrations were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight percent (25) of the examined patients had at least one tooth with an alveolar bony defect. Dehiscences were found to be most commonly associated with the midline of the labial surface of mandibular left and right canines followed by the mesiolabial line of the same teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structure and topography of alveolar bone should be considered prior to the treatment planning and tooth movement. Moreover, there is a tremendous need to develop a noninvasive precise method for diagnosing alveolar defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. mangoury@usa.net
authors.forename: Yehya Ahmed
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: Fouad Aly
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: El Sharaby
authors.forename: Amr Ragab
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: El Beialy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000473:pathology; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000473:pathology; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques; D055815:Young Adult