The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. Oxygen and nutrients are delivered to all parts of the body through the oxygen-rich arterial blood of the aorta. The aorta is divided into three parts: the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and the descending aorta. When there is a narrowing between the aortic arch and the descending aorta it is called aortic constriction. This lesion can occur alone or in combination with other cardiac malformations. Aortic constriction is present before birth but rarely causes abnormalities because the ductus arteriosus is able to deliver blood across the narrowed area, and all fetuses have a ductus arteriosus present through which blood can pass directly into the descending aorta without passing through the lungs. After the fetus is born and begins to breathe, the ductus arteriosus closes functionally. After the ductus arteriosus closes or becomes fibrous ligamentous, the symptoms caused by constriction manifest themselves and can appear very early after birth. In rare cases, symptoms do not appear until adulthood. Aortic constriction can present with hypertension in the upper body, especially in the right arm, and a weakened pulse in the lower body, especially in the legs. If the stenosis is severe, then symptoms can appear in the first days or weeks of life, as severe stenosis can put a lot of strain on the heart and lead to heart failure. Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, cough, bruised lungs, lack of weight gain, increased heart rate and feeding difficulties. If other heart abnormalities are combined, the symptoms can be worse. In older children and adults, a narrowing of the aorta is often detected by elevated blood pressure or hypertension on blood pressure measurement. Lower extremity pulselessness and/or hypotension can identify the presence of aortic constriction. Long-standing hypertension can damage the blood vessels in the upper body and the heart. Once diagnosed, right upper extremity hypertension should be treated regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms. There are several ways to treat aortic constriction. Newborns with severe heart failure can be given temporary relief with prostaglandins. Prostaglandins can reopen the ductus arteriosus and supply blood to the descending aorta distal to the stenosis. This can be done as soon as the heart failure is controlled. In most cases, the combined cardiac malformations can be corrected concurrently, but direct cardiac surgery is required. If no other malformations are combined, surgery can be performed with a nonstop heartbeat. Surgical techniques have changed over time, but the goal is to remove the stenotic portion. Vascular bypass to the descending aorta is rarely required. Most of the current surgical approaches obtain a radical cure and very few patients require a long term reoperation. If a distant repair is required, a catheter balloon can be used for dilation. In this approach, a catheter with a balloon at the tip is inserted into the aorta and the balloon is inflated to dilate the stenosis. The narrowing correction performed early gives a satisfactory long-term result. Long-standing preoperative hypertension can cause permanent damage to the upper blood vessels and may require daily medication to lower blood pressure even after the procedure. Endocarditis needs to be prevented before dental operations, whether or not orthodontic surgery is performed.