Pain Confirmation with Neurokinin A Level During Early Orthodontic Treatment Using Pre-Adjusted Edgewise and Self-Ligating System

The aims of this study is to evaluate the relationship between pain perception and neurokinin A (NKA) level in orthodontic patients using passive self-ligating (PSL) and preadjusted edgewise appliance (PEA). 15 patients were enrolled into the study (PSL patient group, PEA patient group, and a control group). Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) was collected before bonding (T0), 2 hours (T1), 24 hours (T2), and 168 hours (T3) after archwire engagement. Pain perception was recorded using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). NKA was estimated using ELISA test. Statistical analysis used: Mann-Whitney test was used to compare VAS score between group subjects at T0, T1, T2, and T3. Repeated ANOVA was used to compare NKA concentration between the two group. There were significant differences between the VAS during the initial alignment using both brackets at T0, T1, T2, and T3. However, no significant differences were found between the two systems. There was an increase in NKA level after archwire engagement in both groups, though this was not statistically significant. Orthodontic tooth movement may trigger neuropeptide, such as NKA released in GCF. Although not statistically significant, the PEA group consistently show a higher VAS than the PSL group.