Reducing orthodontic treatment time remains one of the most discussed topics in contemporary orthodontics.
Patients increasingly expect efficient treatment, while clinicians continue searching for methods that may accelerate tooth movement without compromising outcomes. Among the biologically driven approaches attracting attention is injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF), promoted for its potential to enhance orthodontic tooth movement through the release of growth factors and cytokines.
A recent randomised controlled trial explored whether i-PRF injections could meaningfully reduce overall orthodontic treatment duration in extraction cases.
Our Summary
This trial evaluated 30 patients with Class I malocclusion and moderate to severe crowding requiring extraction of all four first premolars.
Patients were divided into two groups: one receiving i-PRF injections during treatment, and one control group undergoing standard fixed appliance therapy alone.
The researchers assessed whether i-PRF influenced overall treatment duration, including alignment, canine retraction, and space closure. Root resorption was also evaluated using CBCT-based volumetric analysis.
While treatment duration was slightly shorter in the i-PRF group, the difference was not statistically or clinically significant.
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The Findings
The i-PRF group completed treatment in an average of 338.6 days, compared to 374.3 days in the control group.
However, differences in overall treatment time, decrowding, and space closure phases were not significant.
Similarly, the i-PRF group demonstrated slightly lower root volume loss compared to controls, although this finding was also not statistically significant.
Importantly, the study found no significant relationship between treatment duration and factors such as age, sex, or initial crowding severity, reinforcing the multifactorial nature of orthodontic treatment timing.
These findings differ from earlier short-term studies that reported faster tooth movement with i-PRF. Most previous research focused on isolated phases such as canine retraction rather than overall treatment duration. By evaluating the complete treatment timeline, this study offers a more clinically relevant outcome.
The authors concluded that while i-PRF may show promise in accelerating specific stages of tooth movement, current evidence does not support its routine use for reducing overall orthodontic treatment duration.
Clinical Interpretation
One of the more useful aspects of this study is its focus on overall treatment duration rather than isolated tooth movement phases.
In orthodontics, many adjunctive interventions appear promising during short-term observation periods, particularly when measuring localised movement. However, translating those effects into meaningful reductions across an entire course of treatment is far more complex.
This trial reinforces the multifactorial nature of orthodontic treatment duration, where biological variability, biomechanics, compliance, and treatment planning all interact over time.
For clinicians, the findings suggest that while i-PRF remains biologically interesting, routine use for comprehensive treatment acceleration may still be difficult to justify based on current evidence.
Study Limitation
The study included a relatively small sample size and focused only on a specific malocclusion type, limiting how widely the findings can be generalised.
About Dr. Jamal
Dr. Jamal Giri is an orthodontist and associate professor at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal. He obtained his orthodontic training from the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, in 2014.
Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Adelaide, Dr. Jamal’s research focuses on the genetic and environmental factors influencing malocclusion development. He also holds a postgraduate certificate in clinical education from the University of Edinburgh and a master’s in medical education from the University of Nottingham.
Dr. Jamal teaches on the Diploma in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics at the London Dental Institute.
Read More
Sonar KM, Nimbai RJ, Angel SL, Samrit VD, Balachandran R, Yadav VS, Chaudhari PK, Duggal R. Does administration of injectable platelet-rich fibrin impact the overall treatment duration in orthodontic extraction cases? A randomized controlled trial. The Angle Orthodontist. 2026;96(3):271-277.
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