Professional Documents
Culture Documents
of tooth movement
Or
Smith
Orthodontic forces can be treated mathematically as vectors. When more than one force is applied to a tooth, the
forces can be combined to determine a single overall resultant. Forces can also be divided into components in
order to determine effects parallel and perpendicular to the occlusal plane, Frankfort horizontal, or the long axis
of the tooth. Forces produce either translation (bodily movement), rotation, or a combination of translation and
rotation, depending upon the relationship of the line of action of the force to the center of resistance of the tooth.
The tendency to rotate is due to the moment of the force, which is equal to force magnitude multiplied by the
perpendicular distance of the line of action to the center of resistance. The only force system that can produce
pure rotation (a moment with no net force) is a couple, which is two equal and opposite, noncolinear but parallel
forces. The movement of a tooth (or a set of teeth) can be described through the use of a center of rotation. The
ratio between the net moment and net force on a tooth (M/F ratio) with reference to the center of resistance
determines the center of rotation. Since most forces are applied at the bracket, it is necessary to compute
equivalent force systems at the center of resistance in order to predict tooth movement. A graph of the M/F ratio
plotted against the center of rotation illustrates the precision required for controlled tooth movement.
Key words: Force, moment, couple, center of resistance, center of rotation, orthodontic tooth movement
294
Department
of Connecticut
of
Volume 85
Number 4
Point of
Application
cl
b
Magnitude
Different
RESULTANTSANDCOMPONENTSOF
ORTHODONTIC
FORCE SYSTEMS
with a common
points
of application
a force
into components
Rather than combine two or more forces into a single resultant, it is often useful to divide a single force
into components at right angles to each other. Usually,
the objective is to determine how much force is being
delivered perpendicular and parallel to the occlusal
plane, Frankfort horizontal, or the long axis of the
tooth.
Fig. 4, A illustrates the force on a maxillary canine
from a Class II elastic. How much of the force is acting
to retract the canine, and how much to extrude it?
In this case, the parallelogram procedure for combining forces is reversed. Let us consider the Class II
elastic force vector to be the diagonal of some parallelogram. Because the components are parallel and perpendicular to the occlusal plane (that is, at right angles to
each other), the parallelogram will be a rectangle (Fig.
4, B). When the rectangle is drawn surrounding the
diagonal, the force components are indicated by the
length and width of the rectangle (Fig. 4, C).
Am. J. Orthod.
April 1984
Fig. 3. The resultant of two forces with different points of application can be determined
by extending
the lines of action to
construct
a common
point of application.
In A, a maxillary
canine is being retracted
with a Class I elastic to a vertical
hook
and a Class II elastic to the bracket.
In B, the lines of action
have been extended
until they intersect.
For the purposes
of
drawing
the parallelogram,
this will be considered
the common
point of application.
In C, the two vectors
are moved along their
lines of action to the constructed
point of application.
The vectors must maintain
their original
lengths
in order to properly
determine
the magnitude
of the resultant.
In D, the parallelogram has been constructed
and the resultant
force obtained.
Its
direction
(both sense and line of action) and magnitude
are now
known.
Since the point of application
is artificial
(and of no
consequence),
the resultant
can either be left as drawn
or
moved forward
on its line of action so that the point of application is on the tooth (E).
and horizontal
method
components.
for resolving
a force into ver(See text for discussion.)
Volume 85
Number 4
Types
of
movement.
A is translation,
of translation
and rotation.
B is rotation,
movement
through
though
the center
the point of
applied force does not pass through the center of resistance, the force will produce some rotation. The potential for rotation is measured as a moment, and the magnitude of the moment is equal to the magnitude of the
force multiplied by the perpendicular distance of the
line of action of the force to the center of resistance.
Thus, if the force is measured in grams and the distance
in millimeters, the moment of the force will have units
of gram-millimeters. Fig. 7 illustrates how to determine the perpendicular distance from the line of action to the center of resistance.
Note that either changing the magnitude of the force
or changing the perpendicular distance of the line of
action of the force to the center of resistance has an
equal effect on the magnitude of the moment. Doubling
the force or keeping the force constant but doubling its
distance from the center of resistance will have identical effects on the tendency of the tooth to rotate.
If forces are indicated by straight arrows, moments
can be symbolized by curved arrows. With twodimensional diagrams, clockwise moments will be arbitrarily defined as positive and counterclockwise moments negative. Values can then be added together to
determine the net moment on a tooth relative to a particular point, such as the center of resistance. Point of
application and line of action are not needed; nor are
graphic methods of addition.
The direction of a moment can be determined by
continuing the line of action of the force around the
center of resistance, as shown in Fig. 8.
In summary, the moment of a force is equal to the
magnitude of the force multiplied by the perpendicular
distance from the line of action to the point of reference
298
from
of the moment
of a force
the line of action
around
can
the
of the force
multiplied
by the perpendicular
be detercenter
of
couples
Volume 85
Number 4
,,----.,
I//
1
\\
center
of rotation
299
\L
I
1
C
I
i
,/
/-\
Ie?
Am. J. Orthod.
April 1984
center
of rotation
vcenter
of rotation
(
\x
/
//
/
/4
/ //
center
of rotation
-,
of rotation
can be used to
in any plane of space. Illusof rotation
for twc types of
OF ROTATION
Volume 85
Number 4
A
Fig. 16. Stick figures
can be used
the force and couple are considered
to predict
separately.
Centers
of rotation
and tooth
tooth movement
and centers
(See text for discussion.)
A simple method for determining a center of rotation is to take any two points on the tooth and connect
the before and after positions of each point with a line.
The intersection of the perpendicular bisectors of these
lines is the center of rotation (Fig. 13)., 8, s
Although a single center of rotation can be constructed for any starting and ending positions of a tooth,
it does not follow that the single point actually acted as
the center of rotation for the entire movement. The
tooth might have arrived at its final position by following an irregular path, tipping first one way and then
another. As a tooth moves, the forces on it continuously undergo slight changes, so that a changing center
of rotation is the rule rather than the exception. In determining the relationship between a force system and
the center of rotation of the resulting movement, all that
can really be determined is an instantaneous center of
rotation.O Nevertheless, this calculation can be clinically useful.
movement
Table
301
of rotation.
The
effects
of
I
Descriptive
for types
Translation
Uncontrolled
terminology
of movements
(bodily movement)
tipping
Controlled
tipping
Root movement
Position of the
center of rotation
Infinity
Slightly apical to the
center of resistance
Apex
Incisal
(occlusal)
edge
systems
and centers
of rotation
Am. J. Orthod.
April 1984
center
of rotation
e
e
_,_.
....._.,,,
_..
.. .-_,
zb
C
......--._
0
JHHI
SYSTEMS
Volume 85
Number 4
f-3
1400g-mm
Q
1 ZOOg-mm
.a4
rc
1200g-mm
ZOOg-mm
f-a
1400g-mm
12mm
14mm
1oog
&
OOQ
Fig. 19. Force systems at the apex (or any other arbitrary point) change when bracket height is altered
(See text for discussion.)
at the bracket to determine the equivalent force system
8mm
1200g-mm
B
Fig. 20. For bodily movement (translation), a pure force is required at the center of resistance. The equivalent force system
at the bracket requires a large moment from a couple to counteract the moment of the force.
304
Am. J. Orrhod.
April 1984
Fig. 21. If the moment of the couple in Fig. 20, B were not large enough to counteract the moment of the
force, there would be a net moment at the center of resistance (Fig. 21, A). The resulting tooth
movement is analyzed in B and C, in which the force produces translation and the net moment
produces rotation. The larger the underestimation of the required couple, the greater the resulting
rotation (D).
1400g-mm
Fig. 22. The previous illustration (Fig. 21) demonstrated the consequences of underestimating the
counterclockwise couple needed for bodily movement. If the couple is overestimated, as in this figure,
the rotation of the tooth is in the opposite direction
We now return from the academic exercise of computing moments about the apex to the clinically important issue of the relationship between force systems at
the center of resistance and force systems at the
bracket. For bodily movement, the force system at the
bracket must be equivalent to a force with no couple at
the center of resistance. Fig. 20, A illustrates the desired force system. What force system applied at the
bracket is equivalent to a pure force at the center of
resistance? First, forces in the x and y directions must
be equal to those in Fig. 20, A, so a 150-gm force at the
bracket is needed in the x direction. The final requirement is that the moments about any point be equal. To
make calculations simple, let us consider moments
about the center of resistance. The force in Fig. 20, A
has no moment about the center of resistance, so that
the system applied at the bracket must do the same. But
the 150-gm force at the bracket, multiplied by its 8 mm
distance to the center of resistance, results in a 1,200
gm-mm moment. This moment of the force is in a
clockwise direction. To make the net moment about the
center of resistance equal to zero, a 1,200 gm-mm
couple in a counterclockwise direction must be added,
as in Fig. 20, B. Thus, the 150-gm force at the bracket
Volume 85
Number 4
305
..-.
........_
c3
A
10
M/F
plus a 1,200 gm-mm counterclockwise couple will produce pure bodily movement in this example.
Suppose that a couple had been added as described,
but its moment was not quite enough, perhaps 1,000
gm-mm instead of 1,200 gm-mm. At the center of resistance the net effect would be as in Fig. 21, A. The
net 200 gm-mm moment at the center of resistance will
be clockwise, because the 1,000 gm-mm counterclockwise couple does not completely balance the
clockwise 1,200 gm-mm moment from the applied
150-gm force.
Stick figures can be used to explain how this tooth
will move; Fig. 21, B shows the translation due to the
force, and Fig. 21, C shows the rotation due to the
couple. Note that in comparing the before-movement
and after-movement positions, the apices are closer together than the crowns. The center of rotation is apical
to the center of resistance of the tooth. If the moment
had been underestimated by 400 gm-mm rather than
only 200 gm-mm, there would be more of a rotational
effect (Fig. 21, D) and the center of rotation would
move occlusally. Next let us consider the effects of
eliminating the counterclockwise couple altogether, so
that the full 1,200 gm-mm clockwise moment due to
the 150-gm force operates at the center of resistance.
Since the center of resistance feels a 150-gm translatory force and a 1,200 gm-mm clockwise moment,
the tooth rotates more than it translates and the center of
rotation approaches the center of resistance.
Now consider what would happen if the counterclockwise couple had been slightly overestimated, so
that 1,400 gm-mm was applied instead of the 1,200
ratio
15
20
25
30
at the bracket
306
Am. J. Orthod.
April 1984
RATIOS
AND
RJ: Holographic
determination
of
of rotation produced
by orthodontic
forces. AM J ORTHOD 77: 396-409,
1980.
Burstone CJ, Pryputniewicz
RJ, Weeks R: Centers of resistance
of the human mandibular
molars (abstract).
J Dent Res 60: 515,
1981.
Pryputniewicz
RJ, Burstone
CJ: The effect of time and force
magnitude
on orthodontic
tooth movement.
J Dent Res 58:
1754-1764,
1979.
Mulligan
TF: Common
sense mechanics.
2. Forces and moments. J Clin Orthod 13: 676-683,
1979.
Hocevar
RA: Understanding,
planning,
and managing
tooth
movement:
orthodontic
force system theory. AM J ORTHOD 80:
457.477,
1981.
centers
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mechanics
Volume 85
Number 4
13. Nikolai
RJ: Analytical
mechanics
tooth movements.
AM J ORTHOD
and analysis
82:
164-166,
of orthodontic
1982.
of tooth movement
307
14. Goldstein
H: Classical
mechanics,
Reading,
1970, AddisonWesley, vol. 7, pp. 93-124.
15. Marcotte
MR: Prediction
of orthodontic
tooth movement.
AM J
ORTHOD
69: 511-523,
1976.
16. Yoshikawa
DK: Biomechanical
principles
of tooth movement.
Dent Clin North Am 25: 19-26, 1981.
17. Burstone CJ: Application
of bioengineering
to clinical orthodontics. In Graber TM, Swam BF (editors):
Current orthodontic
concepts and techniques,
ed. 2, Philadelphia,
1975, W.B. Saunders Company,
pp. 230-258.
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