No evidence to allow quantification of optimum orthodontic force

Abstract

Data sources Sources were MEDLINE (1966–December 2001) and hand searches of the main orthodontic and dental journals, along with bibliographies of selected articles.

Study selection Studies were excluded if there was no quantification of magnitude of force, rate or amount of movement, no control group, a split mouth design, fewer than five experimental sites, or if there was an observation period of less than 1 week. Neither were studies included that used functional or extra-oral appliances, or where medication and surgical or physical interventions other than orthodontic were used. Human and animal studies were included.

Data extraction and synthesis A range of data relating to the forces applied to the tooth and their measurement were extracted from the studies identified. A large variation in data from current literature made it impossible to perform a meta-analysis.

Results Seventeen studies in animals and 12 in people were included. In eight human studies for canine retraction, initial forces of 800–1500 cN were used. Three studies of premolar tipping used forces from 50 to 200 cN, and two studies reported molar tipping forces of 100–500 cN.

Conclusions No evidence about the optimal force level in orthodontics could be extracted from literature. Well-controlled clinical studies and more standardised animal experiments in the orthodontic field would provide more insight into the relation between the force applied and the rate of tooth movement.

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