Administration of bisphosphonate (ibandronate) impedes molar tooth movement in rabbits: A radiographic assessment

Bisphosphonate (Bp)-ibandronate is a pharmacological agent, exhibits antiosteoclastic or antiresorptive activity and used to treat osteolytic or osteopenic disorders. BP-ibandronate may also interfere during orthodontic tooth movement. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of locally administered Bp-ibandronate on experimental tooth movement in rabbits.

Twenty rabbits were divided into two groups- "10" served as Group-1 (control) and other "10" as Group-2 (experimental). Both groups received nickel-titanium closed coil springs with 100 g force between mandibular molar and incisors. Group-1 animals received 1 ml normal saline and Group-2 animals received ibandronate solution (0.3 mg/kg body weight) locally, mesial to the mandibular molar on the 1(st), 7(th), and 14(th) day of the experiment. A total of "40" lateral cephalograms were taken from both groups on the 1(st) and 21(st) day using a digital X-ray unit (Siemens X-ray systems, 300 mA Pleomophos analog, 2008, Germany). Individually, each animal's radiograph was traced manually and superimposed. The molar tooth movement was measured with the help of a standard metric scale.

The Student's t-test has been done to compare the mean values of Group-1 (4.650 ± 0.363) and Group-2 (2.030 ± 0.291) and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).

The retarded molar tooth movement was noticed in local drug administered rabbits, which could be beneficial in orthodontics to control the undesired tooth movement.