The use of orthodontic treatment in adult patients is becoming more common and these patients have different requirements specially regarding duration of treatment and facial and dental aesthetics. Alveolar corticotomy is an effective means of accelerating orthodontic treatment. This literature revision include an historical background, biological and orthodontic fundamentals and the most significant clinical applications of this technique. Orthodontic treatment time is reduced with this technique to one-third of that in conventional orthodontics. Alveolar bone grafting of labial and palatal/lingual surfaces ensures root coverage as the dental arch is expanded. Corticotomyassisted orthodontics has been reported in a few clinical cases, and seems to be a promising adjuvant technique, indicated for many situations in the orthodontic treatment of adults without active periodontal pathology. Its main advantages are reduction of treatment time and postorthodontic stability. Further controlled prospective and histological studies are needed to study tooth movement, post-retention stability, and microstructural features of teeth, periodontium, and regenerated bone after using this procedure.