Grant: Operating Grant - PA: IMHA - New Investigator - Oral Health Bridge Funding

Several current drugs have profound effects on the outcomes of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), that is mediated through the controlled application of mechanical forces to teeth. One such drug class is the bisphosphonates (BPs), which are taken by adults and children to manage conditions of bone loss, such as Osteoporosis (OP), osteogenesis imperfect (OI). The wide ranging side-effects of BP drug use upon dental health include the retardation of OTM treatment plans, and potentially BP-related osteonecrosis (BRON) of the jaw. Yet, there is an increasing incidence of mature-age patient populations currently seeking orthodontic care, and many of these patients have been on BP drug regimens for OP management for many years. Hence, there is a critical need to better understand the influence of BP drug action upon OTM treatment plans, and how to neutralize and/or reverse those effects by using bone active drugs that have been formulated with biomaterial carriers to effect the controlled release of those potent drug agents.