Observation periods before tooth movement in orthodontic patients who have experienced mild-to-moderate dental...

Guidelines for orthodontic patients that have experienced mild-to-moderate dental trauma recommend an observation period before beginning or resuming tooth movement, but they appear to be based on limited evidence.

This scoping review examines available research on recommended observation periods before beginning or resuming tooth movement for orthodontic patients that have experienced mild-to-moderate dental trauma. The extent of research, methodologies used, outcomes reported, and justification for recommended observation periods were reviewed to identify any gaps in current knowledge.

Online databases were searched to identify papers published from 1950 to September 2021. Two publications, one from Sweden and one from Israel, reported dental outcomes of tooth movement with versus without observation periods for orthodontic patients that had experienced trauma. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-1) tool.

One article was published in 1982, and the other in 1991. Both were observational retrospective cross-sectional studies of orthodontic patients with a history of mild-to-moderate trauma to permanent teeth (uncomplicated crown fracture, concussion, subluxation, luxation), ranging in age from 7 to 16 years. The studies listed a variety of outcomes, including clinical exams, electric pulp testing, and analysis of periapical or panoramic radiographs for signs of root resorption.

The identified articles lack sufficient evidence to determine an appropriate observation period after mild-to-moderate trauma before beginning or resuming orthodontic treatment. High-quality research is needed to better define appropriate observation periods before beginning or continuing orthodontic treatment for mildly to moderately traumatized teeth.