Periodontal parameters in orthodontically tractioned teeth: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate periodontal parameters in orthodontically tractioned teeth compared with the respective non-tractioned contralateral teeth. Methods: Search strategies were developed for six electronic databases and gray literature. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed for the outcomes of interest. Furthermore, the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) tool. Results: Overall, 2,082 articles were identified, of which 24 were selected for the qualitative synthesis. A significant difference was observed between the impacted and contralateral teeth (mean difference [MD] = 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.10–0.40; I2 = 0%) when the gingival index was evaluated. Additionally, impacted teeth showed a greater probing depth, with a significant mean difference between the groups (MD = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.07–0.20; I2 = 6%). Most studies had a low risk of bias; however, the certainty of the evidence was very low owing to the design of existing studies. Conclusions: The evidence in the literature indicated that tractioned teeth might show worsening of periodontal parameters related to the gingival index and probing depth; however, the evidence remains uncertain about this outcome. Furthermore, probing depth should be considered regarding its clinical significance because of the small effect size observed.