Orthodontically-induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR) is an unwelcome side effect of orthodontic treatment. Mechanical vibration has been suggested as a preventative measure but evidence is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate whether whole body mechanical vibration has a positive influence on OIIRR.
Thirty-six 10-week-old Wistar rats were divided into three groups, which received either 30 Hz vibration, 60 Hz vibration or no vibration to serve as a control group. A heavy mesial force of 100 g was applied to the left maxillary first molar using nickel-titanium closed-coil springs. The right maxillary first molar served as an internal control. The vibration groups received 30 Hz or 60 Hz of whole body vibration for 10 minutes per day for 14 days. A volumetric analysis of the extent of root resorption on the mesial-buccal root of the first maxillary molar was examined using micro-computed tomography.
When compared with the control group, the animals that received 30 Hz (
Mechanical vibration at 30 Hz and 60 Hz, when applied in an experimental model of whole body vibration, showed no significant effect on either physiological root resorption or OIIRR in rat molars loaded by a heavy orthodontic force.