ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spatial changes of mesial-in rotated maxillary molar and opposite anchor tooth during derotation by the precision transpalatal arch (TPA) with the use of a new typodont simulation system, the Calorific machine system, which was designed to observe the whole process of tooth movement. The maxillary right first molar was used for the anchor tooth and the maxillary left first molar was used for the mesial-in rotated tooth, and the angle of rotation was increased to 20, 40, and 60. A passive precision TPA was fabricated and then activated by bending the left arm to 20, 40, and 60. Each experiment was repeated five times under the same conditions and analyzed by ANOVA and Tucky's Studentized Range (HSD) test. In the occlusal plane, when the bending angle of precision TPA was increased, the mesiobuccal cusp of the rotated molar moved more buccally (p<0.001) and less distally (p<0.001) while the distolingual cusp moved in the mesiopalatal direction. In the sagittal plane, the palatal roots of the derotated molar moved mesially (p<0.001). In the traverse plane, the derotated molar showed slight extrusion (p<0.001). The upper right first molar, which was used as an anchor tooth, showed clinically insignificant movement across all three planes.