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Daryl E. Malena DDS Periodontics |
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Transeptal
fiber surgery is an important adjunct to orthodontic treatment.
Modern orthodontic procedures can move teeth through bone in any
direction (and can even move an entire facial bone), and if held in
place for some time the changes are more or less permanent.
However, one movement of teeth remains stubborn in its tendency to
relapse.
When teeth are rotated they have a strong tendency to return to their original position. This is due to the fact that unlike bone, which quickly remodels itself in response to changes, gingiva is stubborn and very slow to change. The consequence is that rotated teeth have to be held (with retainers) in their new position for long periods of time or they will rotate back to the original position. Fortunately, there is a simple solution to the problem that eliminates the need for long periods of retention in braces and helps keep the new smile looking the way it was intended. A tiny and usually invisible incision is made through the gingival sulcus (the groove in the gum tissue next to the tooth) disconnecting the microscopic fibers that hold the gums to the tooth. The incision heals very rapidly and the new transeptal fibers become the new retainer, holding the rotated tooth in its new position as stubbornly as they held it in the old position! This procedure is very gentle and has very little post-operative problems, but does require local anesthetic. We often combine transeptal surgery with other minor gingival procedures such as frenectomy and gingiplasty in order to complete the orthodontic treatment. Select from the topics above, or use the Search feature to find what you are looking for. If you have questions, feel free to contact us. |
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