Parmanum Jaya

4
th
year BDS

To understand how tooth movement occurs in orthodontics,
these terms are important:

Force: defined as an act upon a body that changes or tends to
change the state of rest or of uniform motion of that body.

Orthodontic correction is based on application of appropriate
force on teeth by means of ortho appliances.
Stress: force applied per unit area (external force acting upon
a body)

Strain: internal distortion per unit area (result of stress on a
body)

Couple: pair of concentrated forces with equal magnitude &
opposite direction with parallel but non collinear line of
action.


Couple brings about pure rotation around the centre of
rotation.

Moment: measure of rotational potential of a force wrt a
specific axis. (tendency of a force to produce rotation)

Centre of resistance: the point on a tooth when a single force
is passed through it that would bring about its translation
along the line of action of the force.

The main aim of orthodontic Rx is to move teeth into more
desirable & favourable positions.


Movement occurs in 3 planes:- sagittal
- coronal
- transverse
Classification of tooth movts:
Pure translation
Pure rotation
Generalised rotation

Types of tooth movement
Bodily movement
Intrusion/extrusion
Tipping
Torquing
Uprighting


All points on tooth move an equal distance in the same
direction.

Bodily movement:
Movt of an equal distance of crown & root (translation)

Intrusion & extrusion:
Bodily displacement of a tooth along its long axis apically or
occlusally/incisally.

Intrusion/extrusion &
centre of rotation


Uprighting:
Mesio-distal tipping of roots for a parallel orientation.
Displacement of a tooth with centre of rotation coinciding
with centre of resistance.


2 types transverse

long-axis

Tipping
Single force applied to the crown resulting in movement of the
crown in same direction of the force & the root in opposite
direction.



Torquing:
Reverse tipping with lingual movt of root.

These are transverse rotation: tooth movt with change in long
axis orientation.
Torquing
(A) Controlled tipping:
When a tooth tips about a centre of rotation at its apex.
Lingual movt of crown with minimal movt of root labially.

(B) Uncontrolled tipping:
Movt about a centre of rotation apical to & close to centre of
resistance.


Long-axis rotation:
Labial or lingual movts of teeth around its long axis.
Is a combination of both translation & rotation.


o Continuous
o Intermittent
o Interrupted

Continuous force:
Active orthodontic force that decreases little in magnitude
between appointment periods. (light wire appliance)

-Highly flexible
-Activation done at a low force level
-Bring about direct resorption of root socket
-Should not be too high to cause occlusion of blood vessels
supplying the tooth
Intermittent force:
Active orthodontic force that decreases to 0 magnitude or nearly
so prior to following appointment. (removable active plates)
High stiffness & activation
after application of force to teeth

Resorption/tooth movt


period of rest (no force)

Repair of necrosed soft tissue
Interrupted force:
Inactive ortho force for intervals of time bet appointments.
(force exerted by an extraoral appliance worn at night only)

o Should deliver heavy forces
o No force decay
o The inactive period of each day should be enough to keep the
periodontal ligament healthy.