Medication and tooth movement

Abstract

Data sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Biosis were used to search for relevant material, along with the reference lists of retrieved articles.

Study selection: Both animal and clinical studies were included if they met the following criteria: they had study and control groups of at least five subjects each; used drugs or supplements with known effects on bone physiology; recorded drug dose and administration; gave details of the application of the forces used for tooth movement; described the technique used to measure the rate of tooth movement; and presented a statistical analysis of the results of the study.

Data extraction and synthesis: A formal data extraction process is not described.

Results: Forty-nine studies were included in this review. Numerous problems were found in the information presented in the reviewed literature from the almost exclusively animal studies. Comparison of the data from these studies was difficult because of the variability in experimental design, animal models, administration regimens, application and duration of forces to the teeth involved.

Conclusions: The authors identified a need for more well designed studies on the effects of various types of medication on orthodontic tooth movement.