AcceleDent Vibration Doesn't Induce Thermal Effects in Intraoral Tissues: Study
Spain: A recent study has confirmed that AcceleDent does not induce thermal changes in intraoral tissues, supporting its thermal safety when used with clear aligners. Infrared thermography can be effectively used as a non-invasive tool to assess physiological responses to orthodontic appliances.
Mechanical vibration devices have increasingly been promoted as supportive tools in orthodontics, with claims that they can speed up tooth movement by stimulating cellular activity and bone remodeling. AcceleDent is one such device often recommended in conjunction with clear aligner systems. However, concerns remain regarding whether the vibrational forces generated by these devices may produce unwanted thermal effects on oral tissues.
Addressing this question, researchers from the University of Valencia, Spain, led by Andrea Vitores-Calero, conducted an infrared thermography study to evaluate the thermal impact of AcceleDent during clear aligner therapy.
The study, published in Scientific Reports, adopted a crossover design involving 22 adult patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with Invisalign aligners. The participants had a mean age of 39 years, reflecting a typical adult population in orthodontics. Each patient was assessed under two separate experimental conditions on different days: one session with the AcceleDent device activated to deliver vibrations, and another session with the same device worn in an inactive, non-vibrating state.
To ensure consistency, all participants underwent a 20-minute thermal acclimatization period before device application. The AcceleDent device was then worn for 20 minutes before temperature recording. Infrared thermography was performed using a high-resolution FLIR A35 camera to measure surface temperatures of both gingival and dental tissues. This imaging technique allowed the researchers to capture subtle temperature variations without direct contact, making it particularly suitable for intraoral assessments.
Key Findings:
- Thermographic analysis showed no statistically significant difference in surface temperatures between vibrating and non-vibrating AcceleDent conditions.
- Gingival surface temperatures remained comparable with and without vibration.
- Tooth surface temperatures were not affected by device activation.
- Baseline temperature measurements before each session were similar, confirming thermal consistency across study days.
- Overall findings indicate that AcceleDent activation does not cause measurable heating of gingival or dental tissues during clear aligner therapy.
Although the findings support the thermal safety of AcceleDent, several limitations were noted. The mouth-open study setup differs from routine use and may have increased heat loss to the environment. The small sample size, single-center design, and non-randomized intervention order limit broader applicability. Variations in malocclusion affected device contact in a few participants but did not alter overall results.
Overall, the study concludes that vibrational forces generated by AcceleDent do not induce thermal changes in intraoral tissues. Infrared thermography emerged as a valuable, non-invasive method for monitoring physiological responses to orthodontic devices.
The authors suggest that future studies should explore longer device usage times, different appliance types, and patient-specific factors to further clarify whether vibration-induced thermal effects play any role in orthodontic tooth movement.
Reference:
Ignacio, J., De Anda, R. C., Gil, J., & Luis, J. (2025). Effect of vibrational forces from acceledent on dentoalveolar surface temperature during clear aligner therapy: An infrared thermography study. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 44477. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-28065-8
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