Orthodontic treatment for maxillary anterior pathologic tooth migration by periodontitis using clear aligner

PURPOSE: Pathologic tooth migration (PTM) is a tooth displacement which is derived from imbalance of tooth retention force and is dominantly found out in maxillary anterior area. PTM in maxillary anterior area was tried to corrected with periodontal treatment and a clear aligner in this study and the result was evaluated clinically and radiographically. METHODS: For the treatment of a patient with chronic periodontal disease accompanied by maxillary anterior pathologic tooth migration, clear aligner was applied to move teeth after a series of case-related periodontal therapy. Clinically, probing depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level and mobility were measured pre- and post-treatment, and radiographic examination was performed as well. RESULTS: Clinically, we found the decrease of the probing depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level and mobility. And we could also acknowledge the reduction of vertical and horizontal dimension on infrabony defect radiographically. However, it is still controversial if there was an actual bone filling. CONCLUSIONS: Clear aligner is an effective appliance to move teeth since it costs little in terms of expense and time. In addition, it wraps whole crowns, providing advantages to deal with crowding, spacing, and size of arch. In short, clear aligner could be a useful treatment option for PTM patient, since it provides decreased probing depth, gingival recession, clinical attachment level, mobility and esthetical restoration.