Abstract
Seventeen cases (28 sites) that underwent alveolar segmental osteotomy were evaluated on the vitality of tooth pulp of the osteotomy site with electrical pulp stimuli and the condition of the periodontal tissues adjacent to cutting lines of alveolar bone after surgery.
The operated sites were distributed in 9 anterior and 3 posterior teeth of the maxilla and in 11 anterior and 5 posterior teeth of the mandible.
The results were as follows: The recovery rates of pulp vitality were gradually increased until 2 years postoperatively.
Finally, their rates were 59.1% in the portions adjacent to the operated site and 96.8% in the other portions.
Among the four sites, those of the posterior portions of the maxilla showed the highest recovery rate and those of the posterior portion of mandible demonstrated the lowest.
There was no clear differentiation of the recovery rate between the bone segment with 6 teeth and the bone segment with 4 teeth.
Even unrecovered teeth, however, demonstrated no color change in almost all cases. Furthermore, a few cases demonstrated periodontal pocket formation, gingival recession, and/or absorption of alveolar bone.
In conclusion, without direct injury to the teeth during operation, pulp sensibility seems to be recovered naturally. Therefore, the distance between the apices of the teeth and the cutting line of osteotomy is a very important factor for protecting tooth vitality.
