Gingival response to orthodontic force

Orthodontic tooth movement is brought about by prolonged application of force on the attachment apparatus. This results in cellular and extracellular changes within the periodontium. As shown in numerous studies, tooth movement is achieved after the remodeling of alveolar bone and the response of the periodontal ligament to the mechanical force. Although gingival changes have also been found to be an important factor in the overall response, the effect of orthodontic tooth movement on the gingiva has been investigated to a lesser extent. Unlike bone and periodontal ligament, which regain their original structure after removal of force, the gingival tissue does not regain its pretreatment structure, a fact on which a hypothesis has been made that tooth relapse after removal of retention may be associated with changes in the gingiva. The present review summarizes available data on the effect of orthodontic force on collagen, elastin, and collagenase in the gingiva and its relevance to understanding the mechanism of tooth relapse.