Interrelationship between the menstrual cycle and the phenomena associated with orthodontic tooth movement: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: As female hormone levels affect bone metabolism, the changes encountered during the menstrual cycle may exert an influence on the phenomena associated with orthodontic tooth movement.

Aim: To systematically investigate the available evidence from human studies regarding the interrelationship between the menstrual cycle and the phenomena associated with orthodontic tooth movement.

Materials and Methods: Search without restriction for published and unpublished literature and hand searching took place. Studies investigating the interrelationship between the menstrual cycle (e.g., specific stage of the cycle, duration of menstrual bleeding, menstrual cycle length, etc.) and the phenomena associated with orthodontic tooth movement (e.g., rate of tooth movement, pain, biomolecule levels, etc.) were reviewed. Study retrieval and selection were followed by extraction of relevant data, and bias risk assessment using the Cochrane ROB tool for randomized controlled studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results: From the final records, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. During menstruation, orthodontic tooth movement was higher. Osteocalcin levels were found to increase as well. Orthodontic pain was found to be affected by the periodic phase of iii menstruation and was increased in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Moreover, fixed orthodontic treatment influences the menstrual cycle length in the first month after bonding but showed no effect on the duration of menstrual bleeding or subsequent menstrual cycle length. The risk of bias assessment revealed shortcomings in certain domains.

Conclusion: Menstrual cycle presents interrelationship with the phenomena associated with orthodontic tooth movement and the orthodontist should consider the possible implications.