Mechanobiology of tooth movement

Abstract

This review describes the mechanical and biological signalling pathways during orthodontic tooth movement and provides an update of the current literature. A theoretical model is introduced to elucidate the complex cascade of events after the application of an orthodontic force to a tooth. In this model, the events are divided into four stages: matrix strain and fluid flow, cell strain, cell activation and differentiation, and remodelling. Each stage is explained in detail and discussed using recent literature.