Caminiti Marco, Lou Tiantong
Head and Program Director, Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Surgical Director, Center for Corrective Jaw Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Resident in Orthodontics and MSc Candidate, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2019 May;77(5):1071.e1-1071.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2018.12.012. Epub 2018 Dec 22.
Orthodontic treatment has been transformed by the introduction and overwhelming adoption of clear aligner therapy (CAT). Many patients are demanding esthetic and metal-free treatment alternatives, including those requiring orthognathic surgery (OGS), to correct their dentofacial deformities. The adoption of performing OGS for CAT has been cautious and challenging for many reasons. Intermaxillary fixation, postoperative occlusal control, preoperative decompensation management, and long-term stability need to be tested and assessed. This report presents an accurate 3-dimensional (3D) printed hard acrylic splint specifically for patients without any orthodontic attachment to be used in the positioning and fixation of osteotomized jaws. It is simple to manufacture and its use intraoperatively is efficient, straightforward, and accurate. This report introduces the Clear Aligner Orthognathic Splint for surgery and the steps required for 3D planning with recommendations for perioperative orthodontic support.