Orthodontic treatment is based on the possibility to consciously move teeth within
the alveolar bone by applying a force with appropriate magnitude and module.
Histological studies confirmed that tooth movement is the result of bone remodeling,
but the exact mechanism that transforms a quasistatic force into a signal that is able
to initiate bone resorption and apposition is not fully known. Indeed, the
clinical observation of the tooth movement phenomenon would suggest a
bone response that seems to contradict the pivotal mechanostat theory of
Frost. This apparent inconsistency could be explained by the presence of a
soft, hyperelastic, viscoelastic, and anisotropic interface constituted by the
periodontal ligament, a bundle of connective fibers anchoring and suspending the
tooth to its alveolar bony socket. The landmarks and the gaps of the current
knowledge are discussed, then some guidelines and perspectives to develop
a mathematical model capable of predicting the mechanical behavior of
the orthodontic force/periodontal ligament/alveolar bone interaction are
provided.
