Comparison of some effects of acetylsalicylic acid and rofecoxib during orthodontic tooth movement.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 2 different anti-inflammatory drugs on gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) volume and on prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) levels of the GCF during orthodontic tooth movement. A total of 36 extraction patients, aged 17.6 +/- 2.5 years (mean +/- standard deviation), were divided into 3 groups. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and rofecoxib (Vioxx, Merck, Whitehouse Station, NJ) were used for pain control in the first and second groups; the third group was used as a control. Gingival crevicular fluid was sampled at the beginning of tooth movement and at 24, 48, and 168 hours. An automated enzyme immunoassay was used to measure PGE(2) in GCF. The intragroup differences were evaluated with the Wilcoxon test, and the differences between the groups were determined with the Mann-Whitney U test. Gingival crevicular fluid volumes of the groups did not change significantly during the experimental period. Depending on the variations of fibroblast activation, PGE(2) levels of all the groups increased at 24 and 48 hours and decreased at 168 hours. When the drugs were compared, it was found that the inhibition effect of aspirin on PGE(2) was more than that of rofecoxib. The results suggest that rofecoxib can be used during orthodontic treatment, but further study is recommended.