Assessment Of Association Between Pain And Root Resorption During Canine Retraction: An Exploratory Study

Background: Pain and root resorption are common adverse events reported in the orthodontic literature. Both are side effects of the sterile inflammatory tissue reaction related to the application of orthodontic force. Aim: The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the association between pain and root resorption during canine retraction. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients indicated for first premolar extraction and canine retraction were recruited. All patients were treated with 0.022” X 0.028” Roth prescription brackets. After leveling and alignment, canines were retracted over 0.017” X 0.025” stainless steel arch wires. Canines were retracted with elastomeric chains applying 150g of force. Root length was measured and resorption was calculated. Measurements were made on the cone beam computer tomograms taken before canine retraction and after 6 months of retraction. The patients were asked to record their pain intensity 24 hours after the replacement of the elastomeric chain. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was calculated for the pain scores and root resorption. Results: The correlation coefficient was very weak (ρ: 0.137, p-value 0.425). Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, the correlation between pain scores and root resorption was insignificant