Food hardness can regulate orthodontic tooth movement in mice

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Periodontology
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Orthodontic treatment often involves recommending soft foods.
• The mechanical stimulus provided by diet is critical for bone health, as described by Wolff's law.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of soft food (SF) versus hard food (HF) diets on mice undergoing experimental tooth movement (ETM).
• To determine if dietary load during ETM influences the periodontal complex and dentoalveolar joint (DAJ) adaptation.

Main Methods:

• C57BL/6 mice were fed either SF or HF diets from 3 weeks of age.
• Experimental tooth movement was initiated at 8 weeks, with analysis at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-initiation.
• Logistic regression modeled the prolonged effects of ETM on DAJ physical features.

Main Results:

• Mice on SF diets exhibited wider periodontal ligament space and larger alveoli compared to HF.
• SF-fed mice showed decreased bone volume fraction and bone mineral density.
• Reduced overall tooth movement was observed in mice consuming SF.

Conclusions:

• Dietary load significantly influences the adaptation of the periodontal complex during ETM.
• Regulating chewing loads is essential for promoting periodontal regeneration and optimizing orthodontic outcomes.
• Multiscale imaging analysis of DAJ adaptations can inform clinical assessment of orthodontic treatment efficacy related to masticatory function.