Adjunctive Orthodontic Applications in Dental Implantology

Implant placement is often necessitated for replacement of teeth with pathologically damaged alveolar bone due to periodontitis or traumatic injury. Surgical augmentation of resorbed bone has many limitations, including lower efficacy of vertical augmentation than horizontal augmentation, as well as morbidity associated with grafting procedure. Orthodontic therapy has been proposed as a useful method for augmenting the resorbed alveolar bone and reforming aesthetically appealing gingival margin, prior to implant placement. This narrative review summarizes the available evidence for the application of orthodontic strategies that can be used as adjunct in selected cases to augment bone volume for the future implant site and maintain space for the prosthetic parts of the implant. These are (1) orthodontic extrusion of compromised teeth to generate vertical bone volume and enhance gingival architecture, (2) tooth preservation and postponing orthodontic space opening to maintain bone volume in future implant site, (3) orthodontic implant site switching to eliminate the deficient bone volume or risky implant sites, and (4) the provision of a rigid fixed-bonded retainer to maintain the implant site. Although there are no randomized controlled clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of orthodontic therapy for implant site development, clinical case reports and experience document the efficacy of orthodontic therapy for this application.