Periodontal health following fibrotomy of the supra-alveolar fibers.

A clinical follow-up study has been carried out in order to study the periodontal health of orthodontically derotated teeth where the supra-alveolar fibers have been severed by an incision through the bottom of the marginal pocket to the border of the alveolar bone in order to reduce the tendency towards a posttreatment relapse. The material consisted of 30 rotated teeth treated orthodontically in 27 patients between the ages of 9 and 22 years. Following an average retention period of 8.3 months, the supra-alveolar fibers were severed down to the alveolar bone border. The control material consisted of untreated, banded contralateral teeth in the same jaw. The patients were examined for plaque, gingival health and depth of the marginal pockets. No significant difference in periodontal health could be found on comparison between, on the one hand, teeth treated with fibrotomy and, on the other hand, untreated teeth.