Uprighting
An orthodontic tooth movement that corrects the axial inclination of a tipped tooth, bringing it to a more vertical position within the alveolar bone.
Full Definition
Uprighting refers to a rotational tooth movement in the mesiodistal plane that corrects tipping, typically of molars that have drifted mesially and tilted forward into an extraction space or following tooth loss. The movement is achieved using uprighting springs, auxiliaries on a fixed appliance, or miniscrews. Uprighting is important both for restorative purposes — ensuring parallel root orientation for implant or bridge placement — and for orthodontic reasons, including anchorage preparation and molar relationship correction. In documents, 'uprighting' is spelled as one word, not 'up-righting' or 'up righting'.
Usage
Usage note: One word, no hyphen: 'uprighting'. Not to be confused with 'torque', which refers to labiolingual root movement, or 'tipping', its directional opposite.
In Context
- "Uprighting of the lower second molar was required prior to implant placement in the first molar site." — Interdisciplinary treatment plan
- "A sectional arch with an uprighting spring was placed to correct the mesially tipped lower left seven." — Clinical treatment notes