Dento-alveolar Compensation
The natural or treatment-induced tilting or movement of teeth within the alveolar bone to mask or adapt to an underlying skeletal discrepancy.
Full Definition
Dento-alveolar compensation describes the phenomenon whereby teeth incline or move within the bone to partially conceal the effects of a skeletal jaw discrepancy on the occlusion. For example, in a Class III skeletal pattern, the upper incisors may procline and lower incisors retrocline to maintain incisor contact. In orthodontic treatment, the clinician must decide whether to enhance, maintain, or decompensate these tooth positions before orthognathic surgery. Editors frequently encounter this concept in surgical orthodontic case reports and consent documents. The hyphenated form 'dento-alveolar' is standard in UK clinical literature.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate 'dento-alveolar' in UK editorial copy. Some North American publications use the closed form 'dentoalveolar'; follow house style.
In Context
- "The degree of dento-alveolar compensation present would need to be reversed prior to orthognathic surgery." — Surgical orthodontic planning letter
- "The Class II skeletal pattern was masked by significant dento-alveolar compensation of the lower incisors." — Case report