Is mandibular molar distalization feasible?

Introduction: The mandibular molar is considered the most difficult tooth to move. In certain clinical situations, it would seem useful to move it backward. Is that feasible? When would it be indicated? Is it successful, and if so how? Material and methods: We first review some fundamental principles and present an update of the literature on mandibular molar distalization, then analyze a retrospective series of 11 patients for whom mandibular molar distalization was planned. The movement achieved was studied on dental cephalometric superimposition with Delaire analysis. Results: the desired pure distal translation was achieved in 2 of the 11 cases; distalization was accompanied by coronary tip-back in 3 cases; in 4 cases, only coronary tipback was achieved, and apical tip-forward in 2 cases. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to determine optimally effective and reproducible distalization modalities for the mandibular molar.