The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of pregnancy on the experimental tooth movement and alveolar bone turnover process of Sprague-Dawley female rat. Sixty rats were divided into pregnant-tooth movement group(P-Tm), normal-tooth movement group(N-Tm) and normal group(N). Maxillary first molar appliances were inserted bilaterally and activated to 40grams. To measure the amount of tooth movement, x-ray was taken 2 times after appliance insertion and before sacrifice. Animals were sacrificed at 1,3,7,14 days(N=5). Just after sacrifice, alveolar bones were collected and frozen immediately for biochemical analysis. Tooth movement was assessed cepha~,ometrically and tartrate-resistant acid(TRAP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were measured in extracts of paradental alveolar bone.
The results were as follows:
1. The amount of tooth movement in P-Tm group was greater than that of N-Tm group(p<0.01).
2. Alveolar bone ALP of normal tooth movement group was not significantly different from the control, TRAP was significantly different from the control(p<0.01). In normal tooth movement group, alveolar bone ALP was increased gradually and peak(day 7) fell off significantly at day 14(p<0.05). The peak of alveolar bone TRAP(day 7) fell off slightly, sustained day 14(p<0.01).
3. Alveolar bone ALP and TRAP of pregnant tooth movement group were not significantly different from that of normal tooth movement group. In pregnant tooth movement group, alveolar bone ALP was increased at day 3(p<0.01) and fell off significantly at day 7-14, alveolar bone TRAP were increased at day 3 and sustained day 14.
4. The peak of alveolar bone phosphatases in pregnant tooth movement group(day3) preceded the peak in normal tooth movement group(day7)(p<0.01).
According to the above results, we suggested that bone resorption activity was increased in alveolar bone of pregnant rat, and the degree of tooth movement in pregnancy may be greater than that of normal group because of high bone turnover of alveolar bone in pregnant rat.
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