The Innovated Laser Assisted Flapless Corticotomy to enhance orthodontic tooth movement

Corticotomy-facilitated orthodontics provides a means for rapidly moving teeth purportedly with little damaging effects to the periodontium and with greatly reduced treatment time. The aim of this study was to enhance the orthodontic tooth movement by reducing the cortical bone layer (resistant to bone resorption relative to spongious bone) following Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation, without reflection of surgical soft tissue flap. In the present experimental study, 8 Male New Zealand rabbits were samples for the research. Right first premolar of each rabbit (experiment group) undergoing treatment for mesial movement with 75 gram of orthodontic force by using closed Ni-Ti coil spring (Dentaurum ®). Coil spring was fixed in cervical region of first premolars by means of ligature wire and No-Mix composite (Dentaurum®) and also, activated to cervical site of Incisors. Left first premolars of subjects were considered as control group. Laser corticotomy was performed in anesthetized rabbits. Samples were sacrificed for determination of tooth movement after initiating premolar protraction on 21th day. The amount of orthodontic tooth movement was assessed by using a metal feeler gauge with the precision or 0.01 mm, between mesial surface of second premolar and distal surface of first premolars. The statistical package of SPSS (Kolmogorov - Smirnov and ANOVA test) was used for analytical evaluation of the measurements. The amount of orthodontic tooth movement in experiment group (mean=1.653±0.34 mm) was significantly (p<0.001) greater than the control group (mean=0.936 ±0.28 mm). The innovated laser assisted corticotomies enhanced the rate of orthodontic tooth movement on the intervention side significantly (p<0.001). The innovated method of laser assisted flapless corticotomy is a useful procedure for reducing treatment time and damage to periodontium. It also eliminates the necessity of more invasive intervention of flap surgery.