Application of Biologic Principles

If we apply the biological principles to aligner therapy. continuous light forces are desirable to affect tooth movement in 2 days, as opposed to heavy forces that require at least 14 days. In the illustration on the right side, if you look at the series of biological events that occur, the first is cellular activation.

In this phase which is the initial aligners, only a thin or flexible material, typically one that delivers less than 15 grams of force is required. However at later stages of tooth movement, when we want to tip, we may prescribe more rigid materials or a material that is capable of delivering forces in the 15-50 gram range. Lastly, when other movements such as torquing or translation are required, material that offers higher rigidity in the 50-150 grams may be utilized.