Alveolar decortication (corticotomy) has long been used with orthodontic treatment in order to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) while reducing the undesired effects of root resorption, loss of vitality, periodontal problems and relapse of the corrections. The acceleration of tooth movement should shorten the therapy. However, the scientific and clinical assumptions of the early days were totally different from the more recent ones: we moved from a pure mechanical approach to a biological and physiological one.
