The Impact of Bite Turbos on the Pulpal Blood Flow in the Upper Central Incisors: A Prospective Clinical Study

To evaluate the influence of anterior bite turbos (ABT) on pulpal blood flow (PBF) changes in maxillary central incisors using Laser-Doppler Flowmetry (LDF).

Sixty-one patients with deep overbite were divided into two groups. Group I received 0.014 nickel titanium (NiTi) arch wire and composite ABT on the upper central incisors to correct the deep overbite; the second group (control group) received 0.014 NiTi arch wire only. LDF was used to measure the PBF at different time points (at baseline, 20 min, 48 h, 1 week, and 1 month after activation). The baseline PBF (without orthodontic force) was compared to the corresponding PBF measurements at the designated time intervals within each group. Changes in PBF between the two groups were compared to assess the impact of ABT on pulpal circulation.

Complete data were obtained for 55 patients. PBF decreased significantly after force application in both groups and reached its maximum drop after 48 h. After 30 days, the average PBF values returned to baseline values in Group II but remained slightly less than basal values in Group I (0.4 mm/s). No statistically significant difference in PBF changes between the two groups at any time point. The overall change from 20 min to 48 h was greater in the bite turbo group than in the control group; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.078).

Using ABT does not cause irreversible changes to pulpal vasculature.