Quantifying Resistance to Sliding in Orthodontics: A Systematic Review

Objective: The present article aims to review all the in vitro experimental setups available in literature used to evaluate the resistance to sliding (RS) in orthodontics in correlation with other related parameters.

Methods: An electronic search was performed in three different data bases including all articles published until 20th February 2016. Additionally, a manual search through the reference lists of the collected records was performed. Studies that addressed different experimental setups to evaluate RS were selected, reviewed, and grouped per research group. The experimental setups were compared and assessed based on their degree of clinical simulation.

Results: A total of 1380 non-duplicate records were primarily selected in the electronic search. After applying the selection criteria, only 189 studies were considered eligible.

Conclusion: The clinical simulation of each setup varied based on the aim of the performed investigation. None of the included experimental setups could achieve a full clinical simulation by studying several variables synergistically in a scenario as similar as possible to the oral environment.

Clinical Relevance: Unfortunately, in vivo evaluation of RS is not possible so far. Therefore, reviewing the in vitro methods and analyzing them on the light of the clinical situations they represent, would be of a great clinical benefit. Deeper understanding of this multifactorial phenomenon will help improving the current in vitro designs with an obvious clinical impact.