Nonsurgical Methods for the Acceleration of the Orthodontic Tooth Movement

While acceleration of the orthodontic tooth movement by surgical techniques has been shown to be effective for decades, noninvasive and nonsurgical methods have always been preferred by both the clinicians and the patients. These techniques have ranged from application of biological molecules to innovative technologies such as resonance vibration, cyclic forces, light electrical currents, magnetic field forces, low-intensity laser irradiation and low-level light therapy. Endogenously produced biologicals have been tested based on their roles in the turnover of alveolar bone in response to orthodontic tooth movement as well as during wound healing. The premise behind this approach is that these exogenously applied compounds will mimic their counterparts produced in vivo. Meanwhile, technologies tested so far target these pathways for the acceleration of the orthodontic tooth movement. All these approaches have shown favorable outcomes with varying success. This chapter presents the current knowledge and a discussion over their limitations with an emphasis on the mechanism of action for each technique.