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A clinical evaluation of titanium miniplates as anchors for orthodontic treatment.

Choi BH, Zhu SJ, Kim YH

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University (Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences), Seoul, South Korea. choibh@wonju.yonsei.ac.kr

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the stability of titanium miniplates used as anchorage for orthodontic treatment. METHODS: Seventeen patients with a total of 68 miniplates were enrolled. The miniplate placement sites were evenly divided between the maxilla and mandible. The patients underwent distal movements of the molars with miniplate anchorage to correct anterior crossbite or crowding without extracting the premolars. RESULTS: The posttreatment clinical examination showed that 5 miniplates, all in the mandible, failed before the end of treatment-a 7% failure rate. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies, perhaps with titanium miniplates of a different design, might be necessary to identify important factors for decreasing the incidence of complications when miniplates are used for orthodontic anchorage.

Published 19 September 2005 in Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop, 128(3): 382-4.
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