Orthodontic extrusion of premolar teeth: an improved technique.

Traditional methods of tooth restoration may be impossible because of insufficient crown length. This article describes a method to orthodontically extrude "nonrestorable" premolar teeth. More than 100 patients who required premolar extrusion before prosthetic restoration have been treated with this procedure. Clinical records of a typical patient are shown to demonstrate the effects of the application of this technique, and a method of bracket placement on a severely broken down "nonrestorable" tooth is described. The advantages of the technique recommended in this article are described.