Effects of force magnitude on tooth movement: an experimental study in rabbits

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different force levels on the amount of total and daily tooth movement in rabbits and to determine whether any increase in tooth movement is equal to the increase in force. Forces of approximately 20 (group I) and 60 (group II) g (19.6 and 58.8 cN) were applied to the upper central incisors of 25 young adult (14 weeks of age) New Zealand female rabbits. The distance between the incisors was measured daily from the mid-levels of the crowns using a digital calliper for 20 days. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni multiple range test were used for statistical analyses. The distance between the teeth in group II was significantly greater than that in group I during the first 3 days. Between days 4 and 14, no significant difference was observed. During the last 6 days, except for day 19, tooth movement in group II again increased, resulting in the distance between the teeth being greater in group II. The mean total opening was 3.98 +/- 0.59 mm in group I and 4.82 +/- 0.82 mm in group II, and the mean difference was approximately 0.8 mm. The results of this study show that there was a close relationship between tooth movement and force magnitude. However, higher forces did not produce force-equal tooth movements.