Geometric analysis of alveolar bone around the incisors after anterior retraction following premolar extraction

Objective: To evaluate changes in shape and alterations in thickness and vertical marginal bone levels of the alveolar bone around the maxillary and mandibular incisors before and after orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction using geometric morphometric analysis. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients with Class I bialveolar protrusion who underwent orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction were included. Cone-beam computed tomographic scans were obtained from the patients before and after treatment. Five fixed landmarks and 70 semilandmarks were used to represent the morphology of the alveolar bone around the maxillary and mandibular incisors. The coordinates of the landmarks of the alveolar bones were generated by Procrustes fit. The labial and lingual alveolar bone thicknesses around the maxillary and mandibular incisors and vertical marginal bone level were assessed quantitatively. Results: There was a significant difference in shape change of the alveolar bone before and after treatment. The deformation grid of the thin plate spline showed that the thickness and vertical marginal bone decreased on the lingual side after treatment. Shape changes were greater for the lingual alveolar bone on the mandibular incisor than for the maxillary incisors. Conclusions: Orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction might cause loss of alveolar bone around the maxillary and mandibular incisors. Careful consideration is needed to avoid iatrogenic degeneration of periodontal support around the incisors, particularly in the lingual area.