Treatment of an ankylosed maxillary incisor by intraoral alveolar bone distraction osteogenesis.

An ankylosed tooth and adjacent alveolar process can lead to the development of an open bite, an unesthetic smile line, and abnormal function in mastication. Intraoral alveolar bone distraction osteogenesis is an option for treating an ankylosed tooth. The purpose of this clinical report was to show the treatment of a growing patient with an ankylosed maxillary central incisor. A simple tooth-borne intraoral distractor was made with an expansion screw and 0.9-mm stainless steel wire, which enabled it to move easily. Intraoral alveolar bone distraction osteogenesis will give the best results in patients with favorable root length and severely resorbed alveolar bone in the vertical dimension.