Animal orthodontic tooth movement models: A scoping review of model characteristics and reported outcomes
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 30, 2026
Studying Orthodontic Tooth Movement in Mice
Published on: August 2, 2024
Xinqi Huang1, Juntong Liao1, Zhimao Huang2
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Objective(S):
To characterise the experimental designs, outcome assessments, and reporting practices used in animal models of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM).
Design:
PubMed, Scopus, Embase via Ovid, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched on 8 May 2026. Two reviewers independently screened records and assessed eligibility. Studies applying active orthodontic force in vivo were included. Animal species, model configurations, loading parameters, outcome domains, and nine experimental reporting items were charted and synthesised descriptively. Reporting information was classified as reported (R), partially reported (P), not reported (NR), or not available (NA).
Results:
The searches identified 2977 records, of which 1584 were screened and 269 underwent eligibility assessment; 247 studies were included. Rodents accounted for 235 studies (95.1%): 165 rat-only, 68 mouse-only, and two mixed rat-and-mouse studies. Tooth site and movement were chartable in 209 studies (84.6%), appliance or anchorage in 181 (73.3%), force in 160 (64.8%), and loading or observation time in 219 (88.7%). Among the nine reporting items, animal or group sample size was coded R in 103 studies (41.7%), random allocation in 66 (26.7%), and force verification in 29 (11.7%).
Conclusions:
Animal OTM research is dominated by rodent models and encompasses diverse loading protocols, experimental settings, and outcome measurements. Mapping these characteristics alongside reporting practices provides a structured reference for model selection, outcome assessment, and the design of reproducible animal OTM studies.
