Does low-frequency vibration have an effect on aligner treatment? A single-centre, randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Low-frequency vibrations (LFV) are explored for accelerating tooth movement and reducing orthodontic treatment duration.
• Optimizing aligner therapy effectiveness is crucial for patient outcomes and treatment efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of dental movements using LFV aligner protocols with varying replacement intervals against a conventional protocol.
• To assess if LFV or reduced aligner replacement (7 vs. 14 days) impacts treatment precision.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, randomized controlled trial involved 45 patients undergoing aligner therapy.
• Three groups were established: conventional (14-day replacement), LFV (20 min/day) with 14-day replacement, and LFV with 7-day replacement.
• Pre- and post-treatment digital models were analyzed using VAM software to measure tooth movement accuracy against the prescribed movements.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in overall upper arch accuracy between 7-day replacement with LFV and conventional 14-day replacement.
• Group using LFV with 14-day replacement showed improved accuracy in upper incisor rotation compared to conventional.
• Significant accuracy improvements were noted for LFV in upper canine and molar tipping (vestibulolingual and mesiodistal) compared to both conventional and 7-day protocols.

Conclusions:

• LFV may enhance the accuracy of conventional orthodontic aligner therapy, particularly for specific tooth movements like incisor rotation and canine/molar tipping.
• Reducing aligner replacement intervals to 7 days, even with LFV, did not yield superior accuracy over the standard 14-day protocol.
• LFV shows promise as an adjunct to improve treatment predictability in aligner orthodontics without adverse effects.