by Dr Young Guk Park, South Korea – From Dental Tribune International January 9, 2012
The ultimate goal of any orthodontic treatment is to obtain better aesthetics of the dentition and the face, and the health of the periodontium, TMJ and longevity of the dentition throughout life by means of accurate diagnosis and mechanotherapy upon malocclusion and dento-facial disharmonies. Bringing all these propositions together requires discarding empirical and conceptual orthodontic planning by adopting 3-D movement algorithms for each tooth and, accordingly, design of corresponding biomechanics. Orthodontic tooth movement results from forces that evoke cellular responses in the teeth and their surrounding tissues, including the periodontal ligament, alveolar bone and gingiva. It is advantageous for the orthodontist to control the details of the biological events that unfold during tooth movement, as some of these details may differ from one person to another owing to variables such as sex, age, psychological status, nutritional habits or drug consumption. Biological variations may be the foundation of the differences that are frequently observed in the outcomes of orthodontic treatment between patients with similar malocclusions but identical treatment.
