Antioxidant supplements: Positive or negative actors in orthodontic treatment

Antioxidant supplements are popular and commonly considered healthy benefits such as reducing the risk of disease. It should be noted that their advantages/disadvantages are still unclear. Some research on antioxidants shows that they may reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and some chronic diseases, and have various health benefits such as a positive effect on bone metabolism by supporting bone regeneration. Some of them show that the benefits of antioxidant supplements are not clear and indicate to increase the risk. The effects of antioxidants on orthodontic treatment are now being studied extensively due to their widespread use. Antioxidants that regulate bone modulation can be used to reduce orthodontic treatment time, accelerate tooth movement, or in some cases prevent unwanted tooth movement, but their unconscious use can adversely affect the orthodontic treatment. Understanding the mechanisms of action of antioxidants and their effects on orthodontic treatment can increase the success of treatment and prevent adverse situations that may occur due to the use of antioxidants. Many inflammatory mediators play a role in the response to mechanical forces in orthodontic treatment. Increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines is associated with oxidative stress. Antioxidants can affect remodeling processes in which osteoblast and osteoclast cells play a role, such as relapse, anchorage, and bone formation after maxillary expansion in orthodontic treatment. The use of antioxidants in orthodontic treatment may increase tooth movement and shorten retention time by increasing osteoblastic activity after maxillary expansion, or on the contrary, slow tooth movement and prolong treatment time by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Accordingly, factors such as the desired effect in orthodontic treatment and the phase of treatment should be considered when using antioxidants. We aimed to provide information and suggestions for evaluating the effectiveness of antioxidant use in orthodontic treatment with basic information about antioxidants. Keywords: Antioxidant supplements, orthodontic treatment, oxidative stress