Periodontal conditions after facial root tipping and palatal root torque of incisors

The maxilla of a deceased 19-year-old young woman who had been treated with a fixed appliance was removed during autopsy. The sagital movements of the incisors could be reconstructed by using the treatment records, which were also at our disposal. The anterior segment of the specimen was prepared histologically in the sagittal plane and stained with toliudine blue. Results: The tooth movements were executed in two phases: an uncontrolled tipping (root movement to vestibular) was followed by palatinal root torque. The histologic changes, induced by the palatinal root torque were (1) root resorption with apical slope from facioapical to orocoronal, and (2) pronounced superiosteal bone apposition (palatinal) with partical protrusion of the cortical plate thinning toward coronal. No osseous perforations occurred. The extent and the locization of root resorptions were not verified in the orthoradial x-ray film of the specimen.