Heat necrosis is cell death caused by effectively prolonged exposure of bone to elevated temperature such as during an osteotomy preparation. An osteotomy is a procedure that cuts, shortens, lengthens, or otherwise reshapes a bone. In dentistry, osteotomies are required in some patients because of a condition where the bones of the face do not meet with the bite position of their teeth. In order to correct this, an osteotomy is done on the lower jaw to bring it into a correct position for proper bite alignment. Heat necrosis can occur during this type of procedure due to the friction involved in bone cutting. To avoid this type of cell death, an osteotomy may be performed using a piezoelectric device. Such devices allow for precise cutting of bone without substantial damage to the surrounding soft tissues. Piezoelectric surgical devices utilize ultrasound technology rather than traditional cutting methods to reduce cell death due to heat necrosis.