Clear-Aligner Treatment of Overerupted Upper Molars

Loss of teeth is often followed by overeruption of the opposing teeth and consequent esthetic, functional, and occlusal issues. Such overerupted teeth must be corrected prior to any prosthetic rehabilitation. Since coronal-reduction techniques may require additional endodontic and periodontal treatment before final crown restorations, overerupted teeth are typically treated with orthodontic intrusion. Surgically assisted methods such as corticotomy or surgical impaction increase the risks and cost of treatment. Extraoral devices require patient cooperation. Orthodontic correction using fixed appliances and bite planes may cause extrusion of the anchorage unit. Miniscrews can provide absolute skeletal anchorage without the need for patient cooperation, but are more invasive. This article suggests a way to intrude overerupted upper molars using anchorage from clear aligners.