To evaluate the rate of canine retraction and pain perception following micro-osteoperforation – a split-mouth clinical study

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and influence of micro-osteoperforation on the rate of canine retraction and patient pain perception. Method: In this prospective split-mouth clinical trial, forty adult patients in the age range of 15-25 years (18 men and 22 women) requiring bilateral first premolar extraction and upper canine retraction involving maximum anchorage, were enrolled. Two groups of 20 patients each (Group-I and Group-II) were randomly assigned and were further subdivided into subgroups A and B according to the allocation of a maxillary quadrant. Group-I A and Group-II A were the experimental quadrants in which 3 micro-osteoperforations (MOPs) and 2 MOPs were performed, respectively, and Group-I B and Group-II B served as control quadrants. With the help of a mini-screw (1.6 mm diameter, 8 mm length), MOPs were created distal to the maxillary canine following which, canine retraction continued for three months. The collection of data was obtained from monthly plaster models. The primary outcomes were the rate of canine retraction per month and the total distance moved by the canines. The secondary outcomes were to assess patient pain following the MOP procedure. Result: A significant increase in the rate of tooth movement was seen in Group-I A, whereas, in Group II, there was no significant difference in the movement rate between the subgroups A and B. In addition, Group-I A showed a significant increase in the rate of canine retraction compared to Group-II A. The patients did not report significant pain, nor discomfort nor other complications during or after the procedure. Conclusion: Micro-osteoperforation appears to be an effective, comfortable, and safe procedure to accelerate tooth movement and significantly reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment.