Influence of anticonvulsant drugs on orthodontic treatment

Abstract

Drugs used to prevent seizures can have an impact on tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of anticonvulsant medications on orthodontic treatment. The design of this study is a narrative literature review in which an electronic search was carried out without language or date restriction in three databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and BVS). The following terms were used for PubMed and BVS: anticonvulsants drugs AND orthodontic movement and SCOPUS: anticonvulsants AND drugs AND orthodontic AND movement. A complementary search was carried out on the bibliographical references of the included studies. The articles indicated that using anticonvulsant medication favors the development of gingival hyperplasia, xerostomia, and alterations in bone metabolism that modulate the rate of orthodontic movement. Within the limitations of this review, it was concluded that there is no contraindication for orthodontic treatment in patients using anticonvulsants. However, orthodontists should be aware of the potential adverse effects arising from the use of these drugs so that they can adopt measures to minimize these risks.

Key words: Anticonvulsants, orthodontics, orthodontic appliances, review.