Biological Mechanisms of Tooth Movement

The body of knowledge that has evolved from multilevel orthodontic research supports the notion that the patient’s biology is an integral part of orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment. Therefore, orthodontic appliances and procedures should be designed to address the patient’s malocclusion in light of his/her biological profile, in much the same fashion as is done by medical specialists in other fields of medicine. As outlined by Jheon et al . (2017), analyses of genetic and molecular factors may soon uncover indicators predicting slow tooth movement, increased predisposition to root resorption, and accelerated late stage skeletal growth. Patients will be provided with customized appliances printed through the treatment stages, as per the devised virtual plan. In addition, specific biologic/pharmacologic agents based on patients’ molecular and genetic background will be delivered to enhance treatment efficiency and outcomes.

Orthodontics started in ancient times by pushing malposed teeth with a finger for a few minutes a day, but today we know that the reason teeth can be moved is because cells respond to changes in their physical and chemical environment. Research will continue to unravel new details of this process, and the beneficiaries will be all people seeking and receiving orthodontic care.

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