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Effect of micro-osteoperforations on the rate of tooth movement
Mani Alikhani1, Markos Raptis, Billie Zoldan
1Associate professor and director, Consortium for Translational Orthodontic Research, Department of Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY.
Introduction:
Our objectives were to study the effect of micro-osteoperforations on the rate of tooth movement and the expression of inflammatory markers.
Methods:
Twenty adults with Class II Division 1 malocclusion were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group did not receive micro-osteoperforations, and the experimental group received micro-osteoperforations on 1 side of the maxilla. Both maxillary canines were retracted, and movement was measured after 28 days. The activity of inflammatory markers was measured in gingival crevicular fluid using an antibody-based protein assay. Pain and discomfort were monitored with a numeric rating scale.
Results:
Micro-osteoperforations significantly increased the rate of tooth movement by 2.3-fold; this was accompanied by a significant increase in the levels of inflammatory markers. The patients did not report significant pain or discomfort during or after the procedure, or any other complications.
Conclusions:
Micro-osteoperforation is an effective, comfortable, and safe procedure to accelerate tooth movement and significantly reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment.
