Piezoelectric surgery for exposure of palatally impacted canines.

JCO/AUGUST 2004 T of a palatally impacted maxillary permanent canine often involves surgical exposure of the tooth, followed by orthodontic repositioning.1-10 After the elevation of a palatal flap, the overlying bone is usually removed with electric or manual instruments. This article presents an alternative method that uses piezoelectricity to minimize trauma to the impacted tooth and the surrounding tissues. The Mectron Piezosurgery* device contains a powerful piezoelectric handpiece with a functional frequency of 25-29kHz and a digital modulation capability of 30Hz11-14 (Fig. 1). It improves surgical control by performing a precise, selective cut, using ultrasonic waves transmitted to the hard tissues through an insert mounted on the handpiece. The inserts vibrate linearly between 60 and 210 microns, providing the handpiece with power in excess of 5W (Fig. 2). A high-powered pump emits a biocompatible .9% sodium chloride solution for cooling.