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Updated: Oct 7, 2025
Author Spotlight: Insights into an Efficient Murine Maxillary Orthodontic Model Protocol
Published on: October 27, 2023
Vitamin E enriched diet increases the rate of orthodontic tooth movement
Christina Seong1, Po-Jung Chen1, Zana Kalajzic2
1Division of Orthodontics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Conn.
Introduction:
Vitamin E is a popular antioxidant suggested to affect bone turnover. However, the effects of a vitamin E enriched diet on the rate of tooth movement are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate tooth movement in rats receiving a vitamin E enriched diet. In addition, we examined bone remodeling in experimental and control rats.
Methods:
Thirty-two 6-week-old male rats were divided into 4 groups: (1) group 1 (n = 8): orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) for 4 days + regular diet; (2) group 2 (n = 8): OTM for 14 days + regular diet; (3) group 3 (n = 8): OTM for 4 days + vitamin E diet; and (4) group 4 (n = 8) - OTM for 14 days + vitamin E diet. Maxillary alveolar bones and femurs of rats were analyzed by microcomputed tomography and histology.
Results:
Rats fed a vitamin E diet presented an increased OTM rate at days 4 and 14. We found an increased number of osteoclasts and decreased bone volume in the vitamin E diet group at day 14 of OTM. In addition, there was increased expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in the alveolar bone of the vitamin E diet group. In contrast, there was no difference in bone remodeling in femurs or alveolar bone at the control side.
Conclusions:
We found that an enriched vitamin E diet increases the rate of OTM in rats, suggesting that vitamin E may be useful as an avenue to accelerate OTM.
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