Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Studying Orthodontic Tooth Movement in Mice
Published on: August 2, 2024
Effects of physical adjunctive interventions on root resorption in accelerated orthodontic treatment: A systematic
Mohamad Radwan Sirri1, Mohamad Yaman Salahi Alasbahi1, Mohammad Osama Namera1
1Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Damascus, Fayez Mansour Street, Al-Mazzah, Damascus 12110, Syria.
Background:
Orthodontically induced root resorption (RR) is a frequent adverse effect that may compromise long-term tooth stability. Physical adjunctive interventions (PAIs), such as vibration, photobiomodulation, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), and low-intensity electrical stimulation (LIES), have been proposed to accelerate tooth movement while potentially minimizing RR, but their efficacy remains unclear.
Objective:
To systematically evaluate the effect of PAIs on RR during orthodontic treatment based on evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Materials And Methods:
Databases included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and CENTRAL up to May 2025, supplemented by Google Scholar, TRIP, OpenGrey, PQDT Open, and hand-searching of orthodontic journals. No restrictions were applied on language or publication status. Eligibility included human randomized controlled trials comparing non-surgical physical adjunctive interventions with conventional orthodontic treatment and reporting quantitative orthodontically induced root resorption. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction, and RoB 2 assessment; RR harms were evaluated with a modified McHarm tool, and certainty was appraised using the GRADE approach. Meta-analysis was conducted when appropriate. PROSPERO registration CRD420251116993.
Results:
Twenty-two RCTs (n=534) were included. Evidence certainty was low to very low. Vibration and LIES showed no significant effect. LIPUS reduced root length loss during canine retraction by 0.015mm/week (P=0.042) and premolar volume loss by 0.53mm3 (P<0.001). LED trays lowered premolar volume loss by 0.15mm3 (P<0.001). Laser therapy reduced RR scores during En-masse retraction (P<0.05). None of the PAIs increased RR compared with controls.
Conclusions:
PAIs exhibit variable influence on RR. LIPUS and daily LED phototherapy show the most promising protective effects; however, current evidence remains limited by methodological weaknesses, small sample sizes, and short follow-up periods. Further well-designed RCTs are needed before widespread clinical adoption. PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD420251116993).
