Effect of platelet-rich plasma on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) during en-masse anterior retraction.

Methods: Twenty adult patients with Angles Class I bimaxillary protrusion or crowding requiring first premolar extraction for routine orthodontic treatment were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group did not receive PRP, whereas the experimental group received PRP in the alveolar mucosa of the maxillary 6 anterior teeth just before starting en-masse retraction. Measurements were recorded on digital models made from scanned plaster casts at the beginning of space closure and the end of 3 months. The overall rate of OTM between both groups was compared. The amount of anchorage loss and type of anterior retraction on lateral cephalogram was also compared between the groups.

Results: The overall rate of OTM was minimally increased but not statistically significant in the experimental vs control group (P = 0.838). Anterior retraction parameters in both groups showed incisors moving primarily by controlled tipping and partly by translation. An intergroup comparison of all cephalometric parameters for anchorage loss and anterior retraction showed statistically insignificant differences between both groups.

Conclusions: PRP is ineffective in accelerating the rate of OTM during en-masse anterior retraction.