Fiberotomy procedure by Dr. Steven Lee, DDS

Fiberotomy

A fiberotomy is an orthodontic surgical procedure designed to reduce the tendency of tooth rotation back to their original position after being corrected by dental braces and other treatments. A fiberotomy involves severing the fibers that attach the tooth to the bone via the gum. The fibers act much like twisted rubber bands and releasing the tension between the fibers and the tooth reduces the forces that attempt to pull the tooth back to its original position.

It is performed near the completion of the orthodontics and is shown to be effective in preventing the relapse, or drifting, of teeth. To perform this procedure, the area around the tooth is numbed and simple cuts are made along the gum to sever the fibers; this procedure is painless as long as the patient takes an analgesic after the numbing has worn off.

Image Source: http://www.toothiq.com/dental-images-thumb/240px-supracrestal-fiberotomy-tissue-trim-orthodontic-relapse-rotated-teeth.jpg

A thin-bladed instrument such as the periotome shown, a scalpel, or piezoelectric handpiece can be used to detach the periodontal attachment fibers (shown enlarged) above the bone level, to prevent elastic rebound—where the elastin fibers pull teeth that have been orthodontically rotated back to their original position.

---From ToothIQ.com---