In vivo determination of tooth mobility after fixed orthodontic appliance therapy with a novel intraoral measurement device.
OBJECTIVE
Valid measurement systems recording tooth mobility upon displacement within the subtle range of physiological strains are missing. Here, we introduce a novel in vivo measurement device and demonstrate a first clinical application by monitoring tooth mobility changes during retention after fixed multibracket appliance therapy.


METHODS
Tooth mobility was measured in vivo on 21 patients (11 female, 10 male; mean age 16.1 ± 3.1 years) by displacing the upper first incisor 0.2 mm lingually for 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 s with the novel intraoral device. Measurements were recorded directly after, as much as 2, 7, and 14 days and up to 6 months after appliance debonding.


RESULTS
Device performance was precise and valid in clinical use. Data revealed significant interindividual varying tooth mobility, which was very high during the first 2 days after appliance removal. After 1 week, mobility values decreased, but were generally higher upon short loadings compared to long ones. After 3 months, tooth mobility was significantly lower than directly after debonding. Interestingly, males exhibited significantly less mobility than females.


CONCLUSIONS
Our work is the first using an in vivo measurement device capable of performing and recording tooth displacements within this delicate range and in such precision. Furthermore, our findings elucidate tooth mobility changes after multibracket treatment, giving important information for retention periods.


CONCLUSIONS
Establishment of this novel measurement device in clinical use is an important improvement when approaching the complexity of tooth mobility in vivo regarding different issues like orthodontics, periodontal disease, or bruxism.
Department of Orthodontics, University of Bonn, Welschnonnenstr. 17, 53111, Bonn, Germany. anna.konermann@gmx.de.
Anna
A
Konermann
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
R
R
Al-Malat
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
J
J
Skupin
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
L
L
Keilig
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
C
C
Dirk
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
R
R
Karanis
Endowed Professorship for Oral Medical Technology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
C
C
Bourauel
Department of Orthodontics, University of Bonn, Welschnonnenstr. 17, 53111, Bonn, Germany.
A
A
Jäger
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D008297:Male; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014087:Tooth Movement Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*
Fixed orthodontic appliance; Retention; Tooth displacement; Tooth mobility measurement