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REVIEW article

Front. Physiol.
Sec. Craniofacial Biology and Dental Research
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1460168

The age-related effects on orthodontic tooth movement and the surrounding periodontal environment

Provisionally accepted
Jiayi Wang Jiayi Wang 1Yiping Huang Yiping Huang 1*Feng Chen Feng Chen 2Weiran Li Weiran Li 1*
  • 1 Department of Orthodontics, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
  • 2 Central Laboratory, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Orthodontic treatment in adults is often related to longer treatment time as well as higher periodontal risks compared to adolescents. The aim of this review is to explore the influence of age-related chages on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) from macro and micro perspectives. Adults tend to show slower tooth movement speed compared to adolescence, especially during the early phase. Under orthodontic forces, the biological responses of the periodontal ligament (PDL) and alveolar bone is different between adult and adolescents. The adult PDL shows extended disorganization time, increased cell senescence, less cell signaling and a more inflammatory microenvironment than the adolescent PDL. In addition, the blood vessel surface area is reduced during the late movement phase, and fiber elasticity decreases. At the same time, adult alveolar bone shows a higher density, as well as a reduced osteoblast and osteoclast activation, under orthodontic forces. The local cytokine expression also differs between adults and adolescents. Side-effects, such as excessive root resorption, greater orthodontic pain, and reduced pulpal blood flow, also occur more frequently in adults than in adolescents.

    Keywords: Orthodontic tooth movement, Aging, age-related changes, Periodontal Ligament, Alveolar bone, tooth movement speed

    Received: 05 Jul 2024; Accepted: 28 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Huang, Chen and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yiping Huang, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, Beijing Municipality, China
    Weiran Li, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, Beijing Municipality, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.