Variations of Salivary Levels of Osteoprotegerin during Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to determine the variations of salivary levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) during the different stages of orthodontic tooth movement. Materials and Methods: A sample of 24 patients was taken up for the study. Salivary samples were collected from each of the patients at the following intervals: T(0) – before start of the appliance therapy, T(1) – 24–48 h following treatment initiation, T(2) – after 2 weeks of appliance insertion, and T(3) – 5 weeks of appliance insertion. At all times, whole unstimulated salivary samples were collected. ELISA-based assay was used to determine the levels of OPG in the salivary samples. The results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA with Bonferroni t -test. The significance value of P Results: According to the results, there was an insignificant decrease and increase of OPG levels. Salivary levels in the alternate stages of treatment. P value for this particular study was found to be 0.05. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the variations in salivary concentrations of OPG might be linked to various stages of orthodontic tooth movement. The site specificity of OPG collection requires further studies in the long run.