Evidence Behind Tooth Movement Acceleration: Are the Methods Cost Effective?

Surgical and non-surgical methods have been proposed as avenues to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement and ultimately reduce treatment time. Within these two broad categories, many techniques are available with different degree of invasiveness and ease of use. Piezocision as a surgical technique involves a minimally invasive approach enabling a local inflammatory response and potentially increasing the rate of tooth movement. Vibration as a non-surgical method of mechanical stimulus can be easily incorporated to clinical practice as patients can use a small portable appliance from home with short daily periods of wear. Since both of these methods are currently used in clinical practice, the evidence supporting their effectiveness should be explored.

Learning Objectives:

• Highlight the most recent results from clinical trials on piezocision and its effectiveness in accelerating tooth movement.
• Discuss the evidence regarding the effectiveness of vibration in reducing treatment duration.
• Present the results of a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effects of vibration on mandibular incisor alignment and on important biomarkers involved in orthodontic tooth movement.