Adult periodontal comparison after treatment of palatally impacted canines aligned by conventional or accelerated minimally-invasive corticotomy-assisted orthodontic traction: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the post-treatment periodontal status of the palatally impacted canines and their adjacent teeth treated by an accelerated minimally-invasive corticotomy-assisted method versus the conventional traction method.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A parallel-group two-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients with palatally or mid-alveolar unilateral impacted canines. Participants were randomly selected and allocated to receive the conventional treatment (CT) with a closed surgical approach, or accelerated treatment (CAT). The evaluated periodontal variables were periodontal pocket depth (PPD), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival recession level (GRL), papillary bleeding index (PBI) and Gingival Index (GI). All post-treatment periodontal measurements were performed two weeks after removing the fixed orthodontic appliance.

RESULTS

In total, 46 patients were included (CT group: n=23; mean age: 20.26±2.17 years), or accelerated treatment (CAT group: n=23; mean age: 20.39±2.27 years). The differences between the two study groups were non-significant for all periodontal outcomes at all measurement points (P>.05). The mean total values of PPD around the aligned canine did not exceed 2mm (XPPD=1.99±0.25mm; 1.91±0.26mm, in the CT and CAT group, respectively, P=0.677). The results of total values of PPD on the adjacent teeth were nearly similar in the two study groups (mean difference: 0.12mm; 0.02mm, for the lateral incisor and the first premolar, respectively). Very low GRL values were detected in the two study groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of corticotomy-assisted method did not impair the periodontal health in the short follow-up term. Both treatment modalities are considered acceptable in terms of post-treatment periodontal outcomes, as the gingival indices levels were at low values.