Method for use in orthodontics for accelerating tooth movement when treating patients for malocclusion

摘要

A method for accelerating orthodontic treatment of malocclusion by noninvasively altering a condition of bone in a patient's jaw so that teeth held in generally fixed positions in the bone are able to be relatively easily and rapidly repositioned using orthodontic appliances. The alteration may be fracturing the medullary and/or cortical bone around the teeth and/or altering vascular, nerve and/or cellular characterisitics of the medullar and/or cortical bone. Once this has been accomplished, typical appliances are used for treatment of malocclusion. Because the medullary and/or cortical bone has been fractured, and/or vascular, nerve and/or cellular characterisitics of the medullary and/or cortical bone have been altered, the appliances used to move the teeth to correct for malocclusion are capable of moving the teeth more rapidly, thereby enabling the process of treating malocclusion to be significantly accelerated in comparison to typical processes used for treatment of malocclusion. In accordance with one embodiment, shock waves are used to alter the condition of bone in the patient's jaw. In accordance with another embodiment, tuned and sustained ultrasound waves and/or high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) waves are used to alter the condition of bone in the patient's jaw.