Apical Force Application in the Management of Dentoalveolar Fractures: Indications, Procedure and Limitations

Dentoalveolar fracture is defined as a fracture in the bone surrounding the teeth without any extension to the basal bones of the maxilla or mandible (1). As for other parts of the facial skeleton, the treatment strategy for dentoalveolar fractures consists of fracture reduction, fixation and immobilization (2); however, some dentoalveolar fractures are difficult to treat. In some dentoalveolar fracture cases, even after proper fracture reduction, the incisal edges of the teeth in the fractured segment remain slightly above the occlusal plan. Apical force will resolve the problem by leveling the incisal edges.