[The effect of the maxillary sinus floor on orthodontic tooth movement]

By superimposing 40 pre- und post-therapeutic orthopantomograms the degree of tipping and kind of movement of 87 teeth could be described quantitatively, dependent on configuration and extension of the basal maxillary sinus. It has been shown that, with a more vertical extension (VL = 1) in front of the tooth to be moved one can expect an obviously higher degree of tipping (about 10 degrees) as compared to teeth moved through a more horizontal maxillary sinus base (VL = 2). In the group of teeth VL = 1 a correlation between the depth of the maxillary sinus recessus and the degree of tipping could be found (p less than or equal to 0.05); i.e. the deeper the maxillary sinus recessus, the higher the degree of tipping. For VL = 2 this correlation is statistically not significant. In the group VL = 1 rather a tipping movement, in VL = 2 a translatory movement can be expected.