Effects of steroidal and nonsteroidal drugs on tooth movement and root resorption in the rat molar.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that the administration of aspirin, acetaminophen, meloxicam, celecoxib, and prednisolone have no effect on root resorption and tooth movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS A mesial force of 50 g was applied to the left maxillary first molars of sixty 10-week-old male Wistar rats using nickel titanium closed coil springs attached to the cervical area of the incisors. The rats were randomly divided into 12 groups of 5 each. High and low doses of aspirin, acetaminophen, meloxicam, celecoxib, and prednisolone were administered via drinking water for 2 weeks. The experimental control group had tooth movement but received no drug. The negative control group received neither tooth movement nor drugs. The amount of tooth movement was measured on digitized lateral cephalometric radiographs. Rats were sacrificed after 2 weeks. Mesial and distal roots (distobuccal and distopalatal) were examined using scanning electron and three-dimensional (3D) scanning laser microscopes. The surface area, depth, volume, and roughness of the root resorption craters were measured. RESULTS When compared with experimental control rats, only prednisolone- and high-dose celecoxib-treated groups showed significantly less root resorption and less tooth movement. Although low dose celecoxib-treated group significantly decreased the tooth movement, root resorption was similar to the control group. Furthermore, resorption craters showed a smoother surface in the prednisolone-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis was rejected. Administration of prednisolone and high-dose celecoxib reduces root resorption and interferes with tooth movement in rats. Both drugs may interfere in the arachidonic acid cascade depending on dose thresholds.