Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen on mobility of orthodontically treated teeth

Objectives: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on improving tooth mobility during orthodontic treatment using a periotest. Methods: Twenty crowding cases (n=20) without severe skeletal discrepancies were used as subjects. For each subject, the mobility of the central and lateral incisors on both arches (U1, U2, L1, and L2) was measured immediately before orthodontic treatment (T1), after 12 months of treatment (T2), and after 3 months from T2 stage (T3) by use of a periotest. The sample was randomly divided into two groups (n=10). The first group was administered HBO for 60 minutes, at 2.5 ATA (atmospheres absolute) for five consecutive days immediately after T2 stage, and the second group served as a control. For both groups the mean values of T1 stages were calculated and compared to those of T2 and T3 stages in the same group. Results: At T2 and T3 stages, the periotest mean values have increased for all the teeth in the second group without HBOT in comparison with those at T1 stage in the same group. However, in the first group that has been given HBOT, the mean values have significantly increased at T2 stage compared with those at T1 stage, but the mean values at T3 stage have significantly decreased compared with those at T2 stage in the same group. Conclusions: It is suggested that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may be useful in reducing tooth mobility noticed during and after orthodontic treatment.