title: Effects of magnitude of intrusive force on pulpal blood flow in maxillary molars.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare blood-flow changes in the pulp tissues of maxillary molars over a 6-month period after orthodontic intrusion using different magnitudes of force.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 10) according to the amount of intrusive force applied. An intrusive force of either 125 g (light) or 250 g (heavy) was applied to the overerupted maxillary first molars using mini-implants; no force was applied to the contralateral molars. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure pulpal blood flow (PBF) at baseline and during intrusion at 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, with P <0.05 considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PBF decreased significantly at 3 days and continued to remain suppressed until 3 weeks, after which a gradual trend of recovery was observed until 3 months, when the levels returned to near those measured before intrusion. When the data were analyzed with regard to the amount of applied force, significant differences were observed between the 2 groups only at 3 and 7 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that despite slight regressive changes in pulpal tissue over the short term, PBF values tend to return to their initial levels within 3 months, indicating that changes observed in PBF are reversible, even during radical intrusions of molars with 125 and 250 g of forces.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate resident, Department of Endodontics, Beytepe Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: seydaersahan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Seyda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ersahan
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate resident, Maresal Fevzi Cakmak Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fidan A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Sabuncuoglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D004498:Education, Dental, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008963:Molar / Q000098:blood supply*; D055815:Young Adult