JMS 2022;5(2):191-199 UDC:616.314.7-089.23 DOI: 10.55302/JMS2252191t 191 USE OF TEMPORARY ANCHORAGE DEVICES IN INTRUSION OF SUPRAERUPTED MOLARS - case reports Vesna Trpevska 1 , Ivan Tanatarec 2 , Zoran Shushak 3 , Daniela Srbinoska 1 , Natasha Stavreva 4 1 PHO University Dental Clinical Center St. Panteleimon, Department of Orthodontics, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 2 PHO DR. Tanatarec, Bitola, Republic of North Macedonia, 3 PHO Dentoria, Ohrid, Republic of North Macedonia 4 Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. Abstract Early loss of mandibular permanent molars with supraeruption of maxillary permanent molars is a common clinical finding causing functional posterior occlusion problems. Rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system often requires preprosthodontic intervention with molar intrusion which is one of the most difficult movements in orthodontic mechanics requiring efficient anchorage to achieve success. The aim of this study was to present two case reports, with orthodontic mini-implants used for molar intrusion as preprosthetic treatment, reducing the need for prosthetic crown reduction in patients with edentulous space discrepancy. With the aid of chain elastics, the force of intrusion passing through the center of resistance of the tooth, supraerupted maxillary molars were intruded approximately 0.5 mm per month. The intrusive tooth movement maintained the vitality of the intruded teeth and was not aggressive to the periodontal structures, did not cause root resorption and no change of the pulp flow was detected. In contrast to traditional orthodontics, mini-implants were demonstrated to be clinically efficient in providing sufficient anchorage against orthodontic forces. With these devices, using well-controlled magnitude and direction of the force, we reestablished successfully the functional posterior occlusion. By presenting these case reports, we emphasize the versatility of orthodontic mini-implants as a form of temporary anchorage devices (TADs) in the biomechanics of molar intrusion attempted to create interocclusal space for adequate prosthodontic restoration with osseointegrated implants and prosthesis. Keywords: temporary anchorage devices (TADs), mini-implants, molar intrusion, edentulous space discrepancy, preprosthodontic therapy. Introduction In our everyday dental practice, considering the fact that first mandibular molars are often extracted due to carious decay, they are among the most frequently missing teeth in the adult dentition. As a result, the maxillary molars overerupt encroaching upon the antagonistic missing dental space and cause occlusal interferences in the mandibular movements, premature contacts in the centric relation and consequent functional problems and may result in great difficulty during prosthetic reconstruction [1-3]. The lack of prosthetic space associated with extrusion when attempting to prosthetically rehabilitate a partially edentulous mandibular dental arch, pose a major restorative challenge. Rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system reestablishing a functional posterior occlusion often requires preprosthodontic intervention with molar intrusion [4, 5]. Molar intrusion is one of the most difficult movements in orthodontic mechanics requiring efficient anchorage to achieve success. In contrast to traditional orthodontics involving conventional fixed appliances, which use the adjacent teeth for anchorage and run the risk of undesirable side-effects like reciprocal extrusion of adjacent teeth and introducing an occlusal cant, recent reports have demonstrated that mini-implants are clinically efficient in providing sufficient anchorage against orthodontic forces [6, 7]. In order to obtain a pure molar intrusive tooth movement, it is necessary the force line of action passes close or through the center of resistance (CR) of the tooth in all three planes of space. The