The Effect of Medicines on Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment depends considerably on the strength of teeth and status of the periodontal tissue. These go towards deciding the type, factors and more. There are different factors including various hormones and medicines which can influence the rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Different medicines can affect the orthodontic treatment and teeth movement differently; hence this article tries to deal with the nature of teeth movement during orthodontic treatment and the effect of medicines on this process.

How would teeth move during an orthodontic treatment?

There are various factors that contribute to tooth movement, as chemical and physical reactions in our bodies as well as cell changes can affect the rate and nature of teeth movement during orthodontic treatment. Orthodontics impose a great deal of pressure on certain parts of the tooth and jaw, so finally it would lead to movement of such parts. Teeth movement during orthodontic treatment causes inflammation and vasodilation, as a result blood flow will be enhanced in these parts. Substances inside the blood flow would affect the teeth and jaws movement which in turn would make easier or more difficult the orthodontic treatment procedure. Due to this reason, you need to discuss the medicines you consume with your orthodontist in order to let them make the best decision about your treatment procedure.

The Impact of Various Medicines on Orthodontic Teeth Movement (OTM)

As mentioned previously, there are a variety of substances in the patients’ blood flow which can influence the treatment procedure. After consumption, various chemicals in the different medicines enter the blood flow of patients which influence their metabolism and general activity. Some of these chemicals would have an inhibitive effect on the teeth movement and inhibit the orthodontic treatment process, while other chemicals can facilitate the orthodontic treatment procedure and accelerate the movement rate of both teeth and jaws. Here we briefly explain about the effect of different medicines on orthodontic treatment.

Medicines which Facilitate Orthodontic Teeth Movement

Substances like Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), calcium and prostaglandins can dramatically decrease the inflammation and accelerate the movement of teeth and jaws. Prostaglandins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs play a key role in declining inflammation and stimulating bone-making. Such medicines can drastically improve movement of teeth and jaws during orthodontic treatment. Additionally, they may alleviate pains caused by orthodontics immensely.

Medicines which Inhibit Orthodontic Teeth Movement

Although consumption of painkillers like ibuprofen for a long term would alleviate your pain, they would have an inhibitive impact on orthodontic teeth movement (OTM) during the orthodontic treatment. Through inhibiting prostaglandins, nonsteroidal painkillers and Corticosteroids would decrease the rate of OTM and in cases where these medicines are consumed for a long time they inhibit the teeth movement. Therefore, the patient who consumes non-steroidal rugs or Corticosteroids because of their systematic problems cannot be a proper candidate for the orthodontic treatment.

Other medicines which have an inhibitive or negative impact on the teeth during orthodontics can point to aspirin, tramadol, diclofenac, indomethacin, and morphine. In some cases, these medicines are able to disturb or to slow down the procedure of orthodontic treatment. Thus, it is recommended, given various effects of different medicines on the orthodontic treatment procedure, to avoid consuming any sort of drugs without your doctor’s prescription and if you have to consume a certain medicine, please discuss it with your doctor and orthodontist.

Effect of Medicines on Orthodontic Treatment FAQ

1-Is the use of vitamins effective in orthodontic treatment?

Both vitamins and nutritional supplements will have no negative effect on the orthodontic treatment procedure, so you are allowed to keep using them during your orthodontic treatment.

2-For whom orthodontic treatment is banned?

If you have healthy gums, there is no certain ban for doing orthodontic treatment. On the other hand, if you suffer from serious gum diseases, you need to solve this problem in the first place in order to be ready for the orthodontic treatment. If your doctor has prescribed certain medicines for you such as corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, etc. you need to discuss them with your orthodontist before starting your treatment.

3-Does consumption of medicines must be stopped during orthodontic treatment?

No. stopping consumption of medicines during orthodontic treatment is not necessary whatsoever. However, the opinion of your doctor and your orthodontist must be prioritized and given the type of medicine you may consume, they would take different related decisions in this regard. This leads into a possibility of yes or no.

4-Is consumption of Vitamin D during the orthodontic treatment?

Although using Vitamin D is useful for ossification (bone making) during orthodontic treatment, you need to keep in mind that excessive consumption of supplements and vitamins is not recommended. If you are using nutritional supplements and medicines, it is required to inform your orthodontist. It does not change whether it’s prescribed from your medical therapist or another way. This will be a factor in the treatment. Here’s an example, it would let them discuss with your medical therapist for reaching a mutual understanding about continuation of these medicines during the orthodontic treatment.