Use of vibration devices for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. A literature review

Abstract

Introduction.  Due to concerns about the prolonged duration of orthodontic treatment, various methods have been developed to reduce this time and provide greater comfort, well-being, and safety for both the patient and the operator. There are several modalities for accelerating tooth movement, such as surgical, biological, and physical techniques; however, surgical and biological approaches represent very invasive methods and are, therefore, less preferred by patients. Among the physical methods, vibration devices are widely accepted for their ease of use and convenience. These devices generate micropulses to apply controlled cyclic forces and can operate at frequencies equal to or higher than 90 Hz, referred to as high frequency, while those operating at frequencies equal to or lower than 45 Hz are classified as low frequency. Objective. Review the literature to determine whether the use of vibration devices generates a significant acceleration in orthodontic tooth movement.  Methodology.  An exhaustive literature review was carried out using different databases, including Pubmed, Cochrane and Google Scholar where information was collected from 21 articles, related to the use of vibration devices in orthodontics, regardless of the type of appliance used during treatment. Results.  The evidence provided by the 14 articles shows varied results, where 5 of them report a significant increase in the rate of acceleration of tooth displacement using vibration devices and the remaining 9 articles show that vibration devices influence tooth movement, but the acceleration obtained is not statistically significant. Conclusion.  Vibration devices can influence tooth movement; however, the rate of acceleration achieved through their use is not considerably significant. Nevertheless, this provides a valuable starting point for future research.