title: Importance of periodontal ligament thickness.
abstract: This study evaluated whether periodontal ligament (PL) thickness varied with root size and examined the possible influence of this variation on orthodontic mechanics. Measurements were taken of the maxillary left first molar in 54 male Wistar rats. Mean mesial and distal PL thicknesses were compared between the intermediate buccal and mesiobuccal roots using paired Student's t-tests with a 5% significance level. Mean values differed significantly between roots (p < 2.2 × 10(-16)). PL thickness in rats is directly proportional to root dimensions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Univ Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba, SP, Brazil. osmar@foa.unesp.br
authors.forename: Osmar Aparecido
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Cuoghi
authors.forename: Pedro Marcelo
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Tondelli
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Aiello
authors.forename: Marcos Rogério de
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: Silvano Cesar da
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D008297:Male; D009811:Odontometry; D009929:Organ Size; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013499:Surface Properties; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology*