Vibrational Force on Accelerating Orthodontic Tooth Movement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to systematically gather and analyze the current level of evidence for the effectiveness of the vibrational force in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). This systematic review was conducted using three electronic databases: Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar until March 2022. The search was done through the following journals: European Journal of Orthodontics, American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Angle Orthodontist, Progress in Orthodontics, and Seminars in Orthodontics. Human or animal studies that have evaluated the effect of vibrational force on the rate of OTM were selected. A meta-analysis was performed for the rate of canine movement per month. Database research, elimination of duplicate studies, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by authors independently and in duplication. A fixed and random-effect meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of vibrational forces. A total of 19 studies (6 animal and 13 human studies) that met the inclusion criteria were included. Meta-analysis was performed based on four human clinical trials. Three out of four studies showed no significant difference in the rate of canine movement between vibrational force and control groups. The limitation of this study was the small sample size and significant heterogeneity among the studies. Although vibrational forces have been shown to accelerate OTM in experimental studies, the results are inconsistent in clinical studies. The inability to apply desired peak load to the targeted teeth may be the main factor in inconsistent clinical outcomes.