Tooth movement with light continuous and discontinuous forces in beagle dogs

In orthodontics, no consensus exists on how to move teeth most efficiently. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of two differen t force regimes and two different force magnitudes on tooth displacement. A split mouth design study was conducted in young adult beagle dogs. In each dog, both mandibular third premolars were extracted, and orthodontic appli ances were placed for bodily distalization of the second: premolars. The fo rces (10 cN or 25 cN) were applied, either continuously (24 h a day) or dis continuously (active 16 h daily from 17.00 till 9.00). Individual time-disp lacement curves of the second premolars were constructed. Four phases of to oth movement could be distinguished. Statistical analysis showed that the c hoice of regime had an influence on the duration of the hyalinisation phase , while force magnitude had not. The rate of tooth movement in the linear p hase was mainly regime dependent. However, force magnitude also appeared to have some influence. The individual tissue response in each dog appeared t o have an influence on both the duration of the second phase and the rate i n the fourth phase. It was concluded that under these experimental conditio ns, force regime has more influence on the rate of orthodontic tooth moveme nt than force magnitude.