Abstract

Application of intermittent forces by vibration is proposed as an easy-to-use accelerator of dental movement. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intermittent vibrational force application during orthodontic aligner treatment on receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) concentrations in crevicular fluid as markers of bone remodeling. This three-arm parallel randomized clinical trial included 45 candidates for malocclusion treatment with aligners, randomly assigned to: Group A (vibrational forces from onset of treatment); Group B (vibrational forces at 6 weeks after treatment onset); or Group C (no vibration). The frequency of aligner adjustment also differed among groups. At different time points, a paper tip was used to draw crevicular fluid samples from a moving lower incisor for RANKL and OPG analysis using ELISA kits. Mixed-model ANOVA found no significant differences in RANKL (A: p = 0.31, B: p = 0.8, C: p = 0.49) or OPG (A: p = 0.24, B: p = 0.58, C: p = 0.59) over time in any group or as a function of the application/non-application of vibration or the frequency of aligner adjustments. Application of this accelerator device did not significantly affect bone remodeling in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with aligners. However, a nonsignificant improvement in biomarker concentrations was observed when aligners were changed every 7 days and vibration was also applied. Further research is warranted to establish protocols for the application of vibration and the timing of aligner adjustments.