Orthodontic treatment moves teeth through bone remodeling and requires a significant time commitment, often lasting well over a year. The lengthy duration is a primary concern for most patients, leading to a desire for a quicker end to the process. While the biological limits of safe tooth movement cannot be ignored, certain patient actions and clinical interventions can help maximize efficiency and shorten the overall timeline. This article focuses on actionable steps and technological aids available to safely expedite the journey toward a completed smile.
Maintaining Strict Patient Compliance
Consistent patient behavior is the most significant factor influencing the speed of orthodontic treatment. The prescribed use of supplemental appliances, such as elastic bands or headgear, is directly tied to the rate of progress. These items apply the precise forces needed to correct bite discrepancies and close spaces. Failure to wear them as instructed immediately slows the intended tooth movement.
Elastics must be worn for the full time frame specified by the orthodontist, often close to 24 hours a day, only being removed for eating and brushing. Even a slight reduction in daily wear time can dramatically increase the overall treatment length because the momentum of tooth movement is lost, and teeth can begin to drift back toward their original positions. Non-compliance with removable appliances like aligners, which require specific daily wear hours, results in trays that no longer fit correctly, necessitating a delay until the fit is corrected.
Attending all scheduled adjustment appointments without rescheduling is equally important for maintaining momentum. During these visits, the orthodontist changes wires, adjusts springs, or delivers new aligners to ensure that the forces applied to the teeth remain active and correctly directed. Delaying an appointment means a period of passive treatment time, where the existing appliances are no longer exerting the optimal force for movement, effectively halting progress.
Preventing Breakage Through Diet and Habits
Damage to orthodontic appliances is a common cause of unexpected delays, as a broken bracket or bent wire stops active tooth movement until a repair appointment can be made. The primary way to prevent this interruption is by strictly avoiding foods that are hard, sticky, or crunchy. Sticky foods like caramel or taffy can pull wires and bands loose, while hard items such as nuts, ice, and hard candies can shear a bracket off the tooth surface.
Habits that involve chewing on non-food items must also be eliminated to protect the mechanics of the braces. Chewing on pen caps, pencils, or biting fingernails places undue stress on the brackets and wires, leading to appliance failure. When a bracket breaks or a wire bends, the tooth it controls is no longer moving or may move in an undesired direction. This requires an unscheduled visit and a complete halt to the planned movement until the repair is complete. Every repair appointment adds non-productive time to the treatment plan.
Clinical Options for Accelerated Movement
Beyond patient compliance, orthodontists can offer specific clinical procedures designed to accelerate the biological rate of tooth movement.
Micro-Osteoperforations (MOPs)
One method involves micro-osteoperforations (MOPs), a minimally invasive procedure often performed in the dental office. This technique involves creating tiny perforations in the bone surrounding the teeth, which induces a localized inflammatory response. The micro-trauma triggers a regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP), which temporarily increases the rate of bone remodeling in the treated area by stimulating cytokine activity. This transient osteopenia, or reduction in bone density, allows the teeth to move through the jawbone more quickly under orthodontic force. Studies have shown that MOPs can accelerate the rate of tooth movement in specific areas by a factor of 1.6 to 2.3 times, offering a significant reduction in overall treatment time.
Vibratory Devices
Another category of accelerated treatment involves using vibratory devices, which a patient uses at home for a short period each day. These devices typically deliver low-frequency mechanical vibration, around 30 Hertz, for about 20 minutes daily, using a mouthpiece. The intended mechanism is to enhance the bone remodeling process through pulsed forces, which may also help reduce the discomfort associated with tooth movement.
The clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of low-frequency vibratory devices in significantly speeding up tooth movement remains mixed. Newer research suggests that higher-frequency vibrations, perhaps between 60 and 120 Hertz, may be more effective at stimulating the required bone biomarkers to facilitate remodeling. These accelerated methods are typically an additional cost and are only offered after a thorough consultation with the orthodontist to determine if they are appropriate for the specific treatment plan.