Vestibular Incision Subperiosteal Tunnel Access (VISTA) for Surgically Facilitated Orthodontic Therapy (SFOT)

Abstract

Surgically Facilitated Orthodontic Therapy (SFOT) in combination with bone augmentation and the placement of anchorage devices installed into bone have been used to accelerate and facilitate orthodontic treatment. This is usually performed after flap surgery, which is associated with moderate morbidity, as well as possible negative sequale such as gingival recession. The present case report illustrates the clinical benefits of vestibular incision subperiosteal tunnel access (VISTA) for SFOT, and tissue augmentation to facilitate orthodontic therapy. VISTA entails making vertical incision(s) in the vestibule followed by subperiosteal elevation of tunnels to provide direct access to the facial alveolar bone. Unlike previously reported vestibular access surgical procedures, VISTA allows for wider elevation of an access tunnel for clear visual and surgical access to perform careful inter-radicular corticotomy. The present report describes VISTA for corticotomy surgery (anterior mandible and maxillary teeth) in combination with the placement of titanium fixation devices and bone augmentation to facilitate orthodontic treatment of an adult female with borderline Class II Division 1 malocclusion, with excessive overjet and deepbite. In view of the fact that VISTA does not require surface incisions in the gingival margins or papillae, it potentially minimizes gingival recession that sometimes accompanies flap surgery.