Evaluation of Vestibular Bone Thickness in Class I Malocclusion Treatment With Corticotomy-Assisted Rapid Orthodontics.

Background: Corticotomy-assisted rapid orthodontics is a widely used method for speeding up conventional orthodontics. This study (i) evaluates the effects of corticotomy alone, corticotomy combined with bone graft, and corticotomy with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on vestibular alveolar bone thickness in patients with class I malocclusion; (ii) compares the treatment time with a conventional orthodontic therapy group, and (iii) investigates the periodontal health of patients who have undergone corticotomy-assisted rapid orthodontics.

Methods: The patients were divided into 3 groups: Group 1 (n = 10) underwent corticotomy alone; Group 2 (n = 10) underwent corticotomy combined with bone graft, and Group 3 (n = 10) underwent corticotomy combined with PRF. In the following stage, vestibular alveolar bone thicknesses were evaluated using 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography images.

Results: The findings showed that Group 2 achieved a more significant augmentation of the vestibular alveolar bone than Groups 1 and 3 (P = 0.001, P = 0.003), while corticotomy-assisted rapid orthodontics decreased treatment times. Sufficient alveolar bone thickness and preservation of the periodontal health were achieved when the corticotomy procedure was either combined with a bone graft or with PRF in the Class-I malocclusion patients.

Conclusion: Bone grafts provided better bone thickness at the buccal surface of the anterior teeth of the mandible and maxilla, whereas the thickness of the keratinized gingiva was better with PRF.