The orthodontic center of rotation of the maxillary central incisor.

The cephalometric records of sixty-four Class II, Division 1 cases treated exclusively with removable orthodontic appliances have been used in a study of the manner in which maxillary central incisors tilt. The center of rotation was most frequently located in the middle third of the incisor root. The longer the time interval between the pre- and posttreatment cephalograms, the more apical was the rotation axis likely to be, an effect ascribed to growth changes in the maxilla. If the effects of growth are taken into account, it seems that the maxillary central incisor seldom, if ever, tilts about the apical third of its root when force levels customarily recommended for tipping movements are employed. The results suggest that the instantaneous and orthodontic centers of rotation are one and the same and support the view that the manner in which incisor teeth move in response to a single applied force depends principally on the physical properties of the tooth root, supporting bone, and periodontal membrane. An unexplained correlation was found between the rate of incisor movement measured at the cervical margin of the tooth and the level of the rotation center.