Can we close large prosthetic space with orthodontics?

For years, the treatment for the replacement of a missing tooth was a fixed dental prosthesis. Currently, implants are indicated to replace missing teeth due to high clinical success and with the advantage of not performing preparations in the adjacent tooth. Another option for space closure is the use of orthodontics associated to miniscrews for anchorage allowing better control of the orthodontic biomechanics and especially making possible closure of larger prosthetic spaces. Thus, this article describes two cases with indications and discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using orthodontics for prosthetic spaces closure. The cases herein presented show that it is possible to close an space when there are available teeth in the adjacent area. It can be concluded that when a malocclusion is present there will be a strong trend to indicate space closure by orthodontic movement as it preserves natural teeth and seems a more physiological approach.