title: Periodontal ligament distraction: esthetics and occlusal stability at the 2-year follow-up.
abstract: Dental distraction is an orthodontic tooth movement technique that allows closure of extraction spaces, usually of premolars, in periods from 1 to 3 weeks, by bodily retraction of the canine. This article reports on canine distalization by using a distractor device obtained from a conventional hyrax screw. The patient was an adolescent boy, aged 17 years 9 months, who came to the clinic with the chief complaint of tooth crowding. The clinical examination showed a convex profile, retroclined and protruded maxillary incisors, buccally tipped and protruded mandibular incisors, and a Class I malocclusion. The treatment comprised extractions and rapid canine distraction procedures. Pretreatment, posttreatment, and 2-year follow-up records are shown and demonstrate that dental distraction is a viable alternative of treatment. With this treatment strategy, satisfactory results were obtained without additional anchorage devices, achieving an attractive smile and optimal occlusion. The main considerations about the treatment alternatives and their clinical concerns are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. susianeallgayer@gmail.com
authors.forename: Susiane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allgayer
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosenbach
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto Estevanell
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Waldemar Daudt
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Polido
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000601:surgery; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology*; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008311:Malocclusion, Angle Class I / Q000628:therapy; D016382:Orthodontic Appliance Design; D019516:Orthodontic Space Closure / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000473:pathology*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D016896:Treatment Outcome