title: Alveolar bone density changes around miniscrews: a prospective clinical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our objective was to assess the effects of miniscrews on interproximal alveolar bone density and adjacent gingival tissue health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four titanium miniscrews were inserted between maxillary second premolars and first molars on both sides of the dentition in 22 consecutive patients (15 female, 7 male; ages, 14-24 years). A control area (between the maxillary first and second premolars) was also assessed. Both miniscrew (study) and control areas were monitored clinically and radiographically at different time points: before insertion of the miniscrews and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after insertion. Software associated with a digital intraoral radiography machine was used to assess changes in alveolar bone density. Clinical gingival parameters of the study and control areas were also recorded. A repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Bonferroni post-hoc pairwise comparison tests were used to assess the changes at the different time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine miniscrews were successful for the study duration. Male subjects had significantly (P <0.001) higher alveolar bone density than did the females at baseline. Alveolar bone density around the miniscrews increased significantly (P <0.001) between 3 and 6 months after insertion upon loading. Alveolar bone density of the control area did not change significantly during the experiment (P >0.05). The width of keratinized gingiva increased significantly (P <0.001) in the study and control areas after insertion of miniscrews and remained with no significant change throughout the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Miniscrews increased the alveolar bone density significantly after 3 months of insertion and were not associated with detrimental effects on the adjacent gingival tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. efalmaaitah@just.edu.jo
authors.forename: Emad F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Al Maaitah
authors.forename: Ahmed A M
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Safi
authors.forename: Reem S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Abdelhafez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015519:Bone Density; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052280:Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult