Keywords
fluorosis - orthodontic tooth movement - root resorption - histomorphometry
Introduction
With the growing importance given to aesthetics, orthodontic treatments today have
become more popular. Orthodontic tooth movement involves bone remodeling and requires
a close interplay between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts.
During tooth movement, mechanical stresses in the periodontal ligament (PDL) space
induce cellular reactions. Clinical experience has demonstrated that there is significant
individual variation in the velocity of orthodontic tooth movement, and one can assume
that the velocity is influenced by factors such as nutritional state, hormones, vitamins,
and trace elements.[1]
[2]
Fluoride is an important micronutrient that accumulates within mineralized tissues
such as teeth and bone. Fluoride has been demonstrated, both experimentally and clinically,
to stimulate bone formation directly, and increase bone mass in patients who exhibit
osteoporosis.[3]
[4] Fluoride influences bone growth by acting as a mitogenic agent for osteoblasts[5]
[6] and might also directly inhibit the activity of osteoclasts by preventing calcium
ion release and directly suppressing osteoclast acidity.[7] Furthermore, fluoride decreases the numbers of resorption lacunae as well as the
amount of bone resorbed by osteoclasts.[8]
Endemic fluorosis is defined as chronic fluorine intoxication affecting the teeth,
theskeleton, and the nervous system. Endemic fluorosis is generally observed in certain
parts of the world where there is excessive fluorine in the water and soil.[9] Dental fluorosis is defined as the developmental anomaly of the enamel caused by
excessive exposure to high concentrations of fluoride during tooth development. In
the clinical setting, severe dental fluorosis can delay orthodontic tooth movement
because of changes in bone metabolism.
In the literature, there is some evidence that the osteogenic characteristics of fluoride
affect orthodontic tooth movement by increasing osteoblastic activity.[1]
[2] However, only a few studies have evaluated the effects of systemic fluoride intake
on orthodontic tooth movement.[1]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13] In three of these studies, fluoride was administered only during the experimental
tooth movement.[1]
[10]
[11] In a recent study by Gonzales et al,[12] sodium fluoride (NaF) was administered to Wistar rats from birth to 2, 4, and 12
weeks. The authors found that the duration of fluoride intake was negatively correlated
with the amount of tooth movement. Karadeniz et al[13] evaluated the effects of heavy/light forces and high/low fluoride concentrations
in drinking water at the early stages of tooth movement in humans. To our knowledge,
there exists no experimental study evaluating the effects of systemic fluoride intake
from gestation, birth to adulthood on orthodontic tooth movement. Therefore, the primary
aim of this study was to determine the effects of systemic fluoride intake on orthodontic
tooth movement with histomorphometric and histopathologic methods. The second specific
aim of this study was to find the effects of fluoride on osteoblastic and osteoclastic
activity. The third aim of this study was to determine the effect of fluoride on root
resorbtion of orthodontically moved teeth. Our null hypothesis was as follows: “There
is no effect of systemic fluoride intake on orthodontic tooth movement.”
Materials and Methods
This study was approved by the University of Suleyman Demirel Regional Animal Research
Ethical Committee. At the beginning of the experiment, 16 twelve-week-old Wistar albino
pregnant rats were used. The rats were randomly divided into two equal groups. The
rats in the first group received 150 ppm fluoridated water, whereas the second group
received bottled water during the gestation period. After birth, 48 male pups were
randomly divided into four groups of 12 rats each when they were 12 to 13 weeks old.
Group I received fluoridated water and underwent orthodontic tooth movement. Group
II received fluoridated water and did not undergo orthodontic tooth movement. Group
III received nonfluoridated water and underwent orthodontic tooth movement. Group
IV received nonfluoridated water and did not undergo orthodontic tooth movement ([Table 1]).
Table 1
Description of the groups
Group I (n = 12)
|
Fluoridated water + force
|
Group II (n = 12)
|
Fluoridated water + no force
|
Group III (n = 12)
|
Nonfluoridated water + force
|
Group IV (n = 12)
|
Nonfluoridated water + no force
|
At the beginning of the experiment (T1), impressions were taken from the maxilla of
the rats in groups I and III under general anesthesia, and a NiTi closed coil spring
appliance was ligated between the left maxillary central incisors and maxillary first
molar. A retractor was used to hold back the soft tissues and hold the head securely
([Fig. 1]).[14] The orthodontic force applied was approximately 75 g, and the duration of the experimental
period was 18 days. During the experimental period, appliances were controlled daily.
At the end of the experimental period (T2), the rats were sacrificed with an overdose
of a ketamine/xylasine combination, and their impressions were obtained. The upper
first molars were subsequently dissected for histological examination.
Fig. 1 The ecarteur and the orthodontic appliance in situ.
The dissected molars were fixed in 10% neutral formaldehyde and decalcified in 10%
EDTA for 6 to 7 weeks, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned in a buccolingual
direction as parallel as possible to the long axis of the roots of the upper first
molars with a section thickness of 4 µm. Sections from the central region of the mesial
root were used in the study. Serial sections from each animal were stained with hematoxylin–eosin.
All parameters were quantified on these sections using Clemex Vision Lite 3.5 Image
Analysis Software (Clemex Technologies Inc., Quebec, Canada) coupled to light microscopy.
The areas for measurement in the groups included the mesial and distal aspects of
the mesial root. The measurements performed were as follows: numbers of osteoblasts,
numbers of osteoclasts, and PDL space widths on the compression and tension sides.
Dental cast models were used to assess the amount of tooth movement. For these measurements,
a split-mouth design was used, with the left side as the experimental side and the
right side as the control. The distance between the most mesial point of the maxillary
molar and the enamel–cementum border of the ipsilateral maxillary incisor at the gingival
level was measured at the experimental and control sides on dental models.
Statistical Analysis
All measurements were statistically analyzed with SPSS for Windows version 18.0 (SPSS
Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Repeated measures ANOVA and posthoc Tukey tests were used
to compare the groups.
Results
Descriptive statistics of all variables are presented in [Table 2.] With repeated measures ANOVA, interactions between water (fluoridated and nonfluoridated),
time (T1 and T2), force (orthodontic force and no orthodontic force), and side (compression
and tension) factors were investigated.
Table 2
Descriptive statistics of the variables
|
Group I
|
Group II
|
Group III
|
Group IV
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Incisor–molar distance (T1)
|
12.41
|
0.42
|
12.39
|
0.43
|
12.01
|
0.30
|
11.97
|
0.37
|
Incisor–molar distance (T2)
|
11.76
|
0.46
|
12.27
|
0.41
|
11.25
|
0.38
|
11.85
|
0.35
|
Osteoblast compression side
|
2.70
|
0.24
|
3.73
|
0.51
|
3.21
|
0.37
|
3.74
|
0.56
|
Osteoblast tension side
|
3.68
|
0.17
|
3.75
|
0.64
|
3.74
|
0.48
|
3.63
|
0.80
|
Osteoclast compression side
|
1.66
|
0.13
|
0.90
|
0.35
|
2.54
|
0.87
|
0.99
|
0.35
|
Osteoclast tension side
|
0.73
|
0.15
|
0.85
|
0.25
|
1.11
|
0.36
|
1.02
|
0.33
|
PDL space width compression side
|
68.92
|
35.51
|
65.14
|
12.96
|
42.83
|
33.24
|
101.45
|
17.71
|
PDL space width tension side
|
101.69
|
32.53
|
70.97
|
8.67
|
94.06
|
61.12
|
75.99
|
22.18
|
Orthodontic Tooth Movement Evaluation
The results of ANOVA revealed a statistically significant interaction between the
time and force factors (p < 0.001). The results of the posthoc Tukey test are presented in [Tables 3] and [4.]
Table 3
Incisor–molar distances of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated groups
Groups
|
T1
|
T2
|
Total
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Capital letters reveal significant differences between the fluoridated and nonfluoridated
groups.
|
Fluoridated
|
12.39
|
0.10
|
12.01
|
0.11
|
12.21
|
0.10 A
|
Nonfluoridated
|
11.99
|
0.10
|
11.55
|
0.11
|
11.77
|
0.10 B
|
Table 4
Incisor–molar distances of the experimental and control groups
Groups
|
T1
|
T2
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Small letters reveal significant differences between T1 and T2, and small bold
and italic letters reveal significant differences between the experimental and control
groups.
|
Experimental
|
12.21
|
0.07 a
a
|
11.51
|
0.08 b
b
|
Control
|
12.18
|
0.08 a
a
|
12.06
|
0.07 b
a
|
At the beginning of the experiment (T1), no significant difference was observed between
the incisor–molar distance of the rats in the experimental and control groups (p > 0.05). After force application, the incisor–molar distance in the experimental
groups significantly decreased (p < 0.001). In the experimental groups, the mean orthodontic tooth movement was 0.70
mm. No statistically significant difference was observed in the amount of tooth movement
between the fluoridated (0.65 mm) and nonfluoridated (0.76 mm) groups (p > 0.05).
Histomorphometric Evaluation
The results of ANOVA revealed a statistically significant interaction between force
and side factors with respect to the number of osteoblasts (p < 0.001). The results of the posthoc Tukey test are presented in [Table 5.]
Table 5
Number of the osteoblasts at compression and tension sides of a molar tooth in the
experimental and control groups
Groups
|
Experimental
|
Control
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Capital letters reveal significant differences between compression and tension
sides, and small letters reveal significant differences between the experimental and
control groups.
|
Compression side
|
8.53
|
0.86 Bb
|
13.94
|
0.86 Bb
|
Tension side
|
13.58
|
0.99 Aa
|
14.25
|
0.99 Aa
|
The number of osteoblasts at the tension sides of the teeth were significantly higher
in both experimental groups (Groups I and III) than in the control groups (Groups
II and IV) (p < 0.001). However, the number of osteoblasts at the compression sides of the teeth
in control groups (Groups II and IV) was higher than in the experimental groups. No
significant effect of fluoride on the number of osteoblasts was observed (p > 0.05). Orthodontic force application increased the number of the osteoblasts at
the tension sides and reduced the number at the compression sides.
With respect to the number of osteoclasts, the results of ANOVA revealed statistically
significant interactions between water and force factors (p < 0.01) and between force and side factors (p < 0.001). The results of the posthoc Tukey test are presented in [Tables 6]
[7.]
Table 6
Number of the osteoclasts in the fluoridated and nonfluoridated experimental and control
groups
Groups
|
Experimental
|
Control
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Capital letters reveal significant differences between the experimental and
control groups, and small letters reveal significant differences between the fluoridated
and nonfluoridated groups.
|
Fluoridated
|
1.32
|
0.20 Ab
|
0.47
|
0.20 Ba
|
Nonfluoridated
|
2.87
|
0.19 Aa
|
0.83
|
0.19 Ba
|
Table 7
Number of the osteoclasts at compression and tension sides of a molar tooth in the
experimental and control groups
Groups
|
Experimental
|
Control
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Capital letters reveal significant differences between the compression and tension
sides, and small letters reveal significant differences between the experimental and
control groups.
|
Compression side
|
3.58
|
0.20 Aa
|
0.68
|
0.20 Ab
|
Tension side
|
0.60
|
0.15 Aa
|
0.62
|
0.15 Aa
|
The number of osteoclasts was significantly higher in both experimental groups (Groups
I and III) than in the control groups (Groups II and IV) (p < 0.01). Orthodontic force application significantly increased the number of osteoclasts.
When the experimental groups compared with each other, an increased number of osteoclasts
was observed in the nonfluoridated group (Group III) relative to the fluoridated group
(Group I) (p < 0.01). Systemic fluoride intake reduced the number of osteoclasts near the orthodontically
moved teeth. In experimental groups, osteoclastic activity at the compression side
of the roots was higher than it was at the tension side (p < 0.001). More resorption and more osteoclastic activity were observed in the force
direction.
In the PDL space widths, the results of ANOVA revealed a statistically significant
interaction between side, water, and force factors (p < 0.05). The results of the posthoc Tukey test are presented in [Table 8.]
Table 8
The PDL space widths (μm) in the experimental and control groups
|
|
Fluoridated
|
Nonfluoridated
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Mean
|
SD
|
Note: Capital letters reveal significant differences between the compression and tension
sides, small letters reveal significant differences between the experimental and control
groups, and small bold italic letters reveal significant differences between the fluoridated
and nonfluoridated groups.
|
Experimental
|
Compression side
|
68.92
|
10.12 Ba
a
|
42.83
|
10.12 Bb
b
|
Tension side
|
101.69
|
13.92 Aa
a
|
94.06
|
13.92 Aa
a
|
Control
|
Compression side
|
65.14
|
10.93 Aa
b
|
101.45
|
9.47 Aa
a
|
Tension side
|
70.97
|
15.04 Ab
a
|
75.99
|
13.02 Bb
a
|
After orthodontic force application, both experimental groups (Groups I and III) exhibited
wider PDL space widths at the tension side than the compression side (p < 0.05). In experimental groups, PDL space widths at the compression side were wider
in the fluoridated group (Group I) than in the nonfluoridated group (Group III) (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between the tension side PDL space
widths of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated experimental groups (Groups I and III).
Histopathological Evaluation
In the control groups, PDL and alveolar bone around the upper 1st molar teeth were
histologically normal ([Fig. 2]). The PDL structure was composed of tight cellular connective tissue, collagen fibers,
and a few blood vessels adjacent to the alveolar bone ([Figs. 3 ]and [4]). PDL space widths were normal. In the alveolar bone surface adjacent to PDL, many
osteoblasts and few multinucleated osteoclasts were observed ([Fig. 3]). Root surfaces exhibited straight and smooth boundaries. No significant difference
was observed between the fluoridated and nonfluoridated groups ([Figs. 3 ]and [4]).
Fig. 2 A histologic section of a molar tooth from the nonfluoridated control group. ab:
alveolar bone, p: pulp, d: dentine, pdl: periodontal ligament.
Fig. 3 A histologic section of a molar root from the fluoridated control group. ab: alveolar
bone, p: pulp, d: dentine, ob: osteoblast, oc: osteoclast.
Fig. 4 A histologic section of a molar root from the fluoridated control group. pdl: periodontal
ligament, d: dentine, ob: osteoblast, v: blood vessel.
In the experimental groups, resorptive alveolar bone surfaces were observed at the
compression side, and depository alveolar bone surfaces were observed at the tension
side. At the compression side, the PDL space was narrowed, and compression of the
periodontal fibers was observed. At the tension side, widening of the PDL space and
stretching of the periodontal fibers were observed ([Figs. 5 ]and [6]). At the tension side, decreased vascular supply to the PDL and destruction of cells
between the stretched fibers occurred. At the compression side, resorption areas surrounded
by multinucleated ostroclasts were observed at the alveolar bone surface adjacent
to the PDL.
Fig. 5 A histologic section of a molar root from the fluoridated experimental group. Thin
arrows indicate the stretching of the periodontal fibers at the tension side. Thick
arrows indicate compression of the periodontal fibers at the compression side.
Fig. 6 A histologic section of a molar root from the nonfluoridated experimental group.
Thin arrows indicate the stretching of the periodontal fibers at the tension side.
Thick arrows indicate compression of the periodontal fibers at the compression side.
Histopathological evaluation revealed no significant difference between the sections
obtained from the fluoridated and nonfluoridated groups. However, in the nonfluoridated
group, significant resorption lacunae were observed in the roots of the 1st molar
teeth ([Fig. 7]) whereas no root resorption was observed in the fluoridated group ([Fig. 5]).
Fig. 7 A histologic section of a molar root from the nonfluoridated experimental group.
Thin arrows indicate root resorption lacunae.
Discussion
Extended treatment times often accompany many complications such as enamel demineralization,
root resorption and periodontal problems.[15]
[16] Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the factors influencing bone
resorption and deposition rates during orthodontic treatment. In the recent years,
significant experimental and clinical research has been performed to accelerate orthodontic
tooth movement.[17]
[18]
[19] However, few studies have been published about the effects of fluoride on tooth
movement, and in most studies, fluoride was administered only during orthodontic tooth
movement.[1]
[10]
[11] Zipkin and McClure[20] reported that during the period of rapid growth, both the percentage and total fluorine
of the molar teeth, femurs and mandibles increased at a relatively rapid rate. In
mature rats, fluorine storage does not increase with age. Furthermore, Matias et al[21] reported that the formation of dentine, cementum, PDL, and alveolar bone in rats
ended at week 8. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of fluoride administration
from gestation to birth and adulthood.
It has been reported that rat molars physiologically migrate in the distal direction
with aging[22]
[23] and occlusal forces play an important role in this migration.[24] A split-mouth design was used for dental model measurements because of the physiological
distal drift of the molars, physiological growth of the snout, forward movement of
the incisors, and the possible distal tipping of the incisors used as anchorage.[25] Compensation for these effects was performed by measuring the incisor–molar distances
on the experimental and control sides.[25]
[26] In this study, no statistically significant difference was observed in the amount
of tooth movement between the fluoridated (0.65 mm) and nonfluoridated (0.76 mm) groups.
In contrast with our results, Singer et al[10] and Hellsing and Hammarstrom[1] reported decreased tooth movement in the fluoridated groups and explained this result
with the decreased osteoblastic activity. According to Gedalia and Zipkin,[27] the incorporated fluoride gives rise to a mixed fluorohydroxyapatite and is therefore
more resistant to resorption. Gonzales et al[12] also agreed with this concept when discussing their findings of decreased tooth
movement in the fluoridated group. In contrast, Karadeniz et al[13] reported greater rates of tooth movement with heavy forces and high-fluoride intake
in humans. However, their results could not be compared with the previous studies
because force magnitude was an additional factor and because the study was conducted
among humans.
Successful orthodontic tooth movement was observed on the experimental side of the
rats with generated forces, which is consistent with previous studies.[25]
[26] Although there was no orthodontic force on the control side, a slight decrease in
incisor–molar distance was determined (0.12 mm). This might be due to the acting forces
from the neighboring incisor teeth under heavy retraction forces.
Histomorphometric evaluation revealed that fluoride significantly reduced the number
of osteoclasts in the experimental groups. This result was consistent with previous
studies, which reported the inhibition of the osteoclastic activity with fluoride.[8]
[28]
[29] Hellsing and Hammarstrom[1] found that fluoride diminished orthodontic tooth movement as a result of reduced
osteoclast density. Singer et al[10] demonstrated that fluoride intake might reduce the experimental tooth movement by
interfering with osteoclastic activity and alveolar bone resorption. Okuda et al[8] reported that the decrease in the number of osteoclasts was due to the toxic effects
of fluoride concentrations on the osteoclasts.
Studies have demonstrated that the administration of fluoride stimulates the proliferation
and differentiation of osteoblasts and consequently increases bone formation.[6]
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33] Marie and Hott[31] reported that four weeks of fluoride supplementation induced a rapid 21.1% increase
in the osteoblastic surface and a 26.3% stimulation of the bone matrix apposition
rate, which resulted in a 29% increase in the amount of osteoid and in a 12% increase
in the trabecular calcified bone density. Qu et al[34] reported that NaF modulated osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in a dose-dependent
manner and modified osteoblast metabolism. Yan et al[35] also discovered this dose-dependent relationship. In our study, no statistically
significant differences in the number of osteoblasts were detected between the two
experimental groups. This finding might be due to high dose of (150 ppm) of NaF and
its toxic effect on osteoblastic activity. In accordance with our results, Lundy et
al[36] and Kopp and Robey[37] reported that NaF did not increase the number of osteoblasts.
In experimental groups, PDL space was narrowed on the compression sides, and compression
of the periodontal fibers was also observed. On the tension sides, widening of the
PDL space, stretching of the periodontal fibers, decreased vascular supply in the
PDL and destruction of cells between stretched fibers were observed. On the compression
sides, resorption areas surrounded by multinucleated osteoclasts were observed at
the alveolar bone surface adjacent to the PDL. These are the characteristic histologic
findings of orthodontic tooth movement which were consistent with the findings of
other studies.[38]
[39]
[40]
[41] The PDL space width at the tension sides did not differ between fluoridated and
nonfluoridated groups. However, at the compression sides, PDL spaces were wider in
the fluoridated group. This might be due to the inhibition of osteoclastic activity
and tooth movement by fluoride.
Histopathologic examination revealed significant resorption craters in the 1st molar
roots of the nonfluoridated experimental group. On the contrary, no resorption was
observed in the molar roots of the fluoridated experimental group. This finding might
be due to the inhibition of the osteoclastic activity in the fluoridated group or
due to fluoride making the cementum more resistant to resorption.[29]
[42] Consistent with our results, Okuda et al[8] reported that fluoride significantly decreased the number of resorption lacunae
made by individual osteoclasts and the resorbed area per osteoclast. Foo et al[43] also reported a reduced size of resorption craters, but the effect was variable
and not statistically significant. Gonzales et al[12] reported that fluoride reduced the depth, volume, and roughness of the resorption
craters in the experimental groups. However, the area was similar to that in the positive
control group. On the contrary, some researchers have reported no effect of fluoride
on resorption activity.[31]
[33]
Conclusions
No difference was observed in the amount of tooth movement between the fluoridated
and nonfluoridated groups. Fluoride significantly reduced the number of osteoclasts
in the experimental groups. Osteoblastic activity increased in the tension sides but
did not differ between the fluoridated and nonfluoridated groups. The PDL space widths
at the tension sides did not differ between the fluoridated and nonfluoridated groups.
However, PDL space widths at the compression sides were wider in the fluoridated group.
Resorption craters were present in the 1st molar roots of the nonfluoridated experimental
group. On the contrary, no resorption was observed in the molar roots of the fluoridated
experimental group.