A Study of Tooth Rotation in the Macque Speciosa Monkey

Abstract

This study was undertaken to observe the effect of light, medium, and heavy couples on multirooted teeth of three young male Macaque speciosa monkeys. Three forces of 82 gm.-mm, 245 gm.-mm, and 2280 gm.-mm. were generated from closed-coil springs for a period of 42 days. The rate of tooth movement varied among all three forces, with the average rates being similar when comparing the three forces over the 42-day period. All three forces produced an initial, lag, and post-lag phase of tooth movement. The center of rotation of the three-rooted tooth appeared to be close to the lingual root while in the two-rooted tooth the center of rotation was close to the center of the tooth. Hyalinization and root resorption were seen with all forces and increased with increased force. Hyalinization and root resorption were more severe in the smaller diverging apical portion than in the cervical portion of the roots.