Torque in orthodontics: Review of literature

For every person, their face and especially the anterior teeth are essential for aesthetic appearance. Teeth positions play an important role in this regard. Orthodontic treatment aims to position the teeth such that they achieve optimum aesthetics and function.1Torque is the force that enables the orthodontist to control the axial inclination of teeth and to place them in the harmonizing positions that are desirable for finished result. Torque is the force that gives the operator control over the movement of roots of teeth. It represents the bucco-palatal crown/root inclination of a tooth, and it is an orthodontic adaptation used to describe rotation around an x-axis. It is said to be positive when the root is lingually positioned and negative when the root is facially positioned as compared to the crown.2Proper bucco-lingual inclination of anterior and posterior teeth is essential to provide better aesthetic, stability and functional occlusal relationship.