Alveolar bone dehiscence in anterior teeth after orthodontic camouflage treatment for severe skeletal Class II malocclusion with a history of condylar resorption at the 3-year follow-up: a case report

This case report describes orthodontic treatment of an adult female with severe skeletal Class II malocclusion on a Class II skeletal base complicated by deficient chin, condylar resorption and anterior open bite (The IOFTN score = 4.4, ANB °=11.3, SN-MP °=58.2). Treatment carried out with 4 1st premolar extractions and using two mini-implants (diameter: 1.6 mm; length: 10 mm; Cibei Medical Instruments, Ningbo, China) that were inserted between the maxillary first molar and second premolar to intrude the bilateral maxillary first molars using elastic traction. Alveolar bone dehiscences were detected on the palatal or lingual side of the anterior teeth roots after orthodontic camouflage treatment. During the 3-year follow-up period, acceptable periodontal health and favourable alveolar bone modeling of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth were detected. No further lesions developed in the condyle during the treatment period. This case confirmed that the capacity of palatal or lingual alveolar bone remodeling, which might be greater than previously believed, but the specific mechanism is still unclear.