Purpose-Skeletal anchorage systems are increasingly used in orthodontics. This article describes the techniques of placement and removal of modified surgical miniplates used for temporary orthodontic anchorage and reports surgeons' perceptions of their use.Patients and Methods-We enrolled 97 consecutive orthodontic patients having miniplates placed as an adjunct to treatment. A total of 200 miniplates were placed by 9 oral surgeons. Patients and surgeons completed questionnaires after placement and removal surgeries.Results-Fifteen miniplates needed to be removed prematurely. Antibiotics and antiinflammatories were generally prescribed after placement but not after removal surgery. Most surgeries were performed with the patient under local anesthesia. Placement surgery lasted on average between 15 and 30 minutes per plate and was considered by the surgeons to be very easy to moderately easy. The surgery to remove the miniplates was considered easier and took less time. The patients' chief complaint was swelling, lasting on average 5.3 ± 2.8 days after placement and 4.5 ± 2.6 days after removal.Conclusions-Although miniplate placement/removal surgery requires the elevation of a flap, this was considered an easy and relatively short surgical procedure that can typically be performed with the patient under local anesthesia without complications, and it may be considered a safe and effective adjunct for orthodontic treatment.One of the most challenging problems in orthodontics is to find sufficient anchorage to achieve planned tooth movements. Conventional approaches take advantage of the differential anchorage potential in the dentition, where a larger number of teeth can resist movement of a smaller number. This often requires the additional use of compliance-dependent auxiliary
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