The UF College of Dentistry is taking strides in shortening the time it takes for patients to obtain picture-perfect smiles.
The Department of Orthodontics in the UF College of Dentistry is conducting a trial using a new device that emits electronic pulses in the mouth. The device works in conjunction with clear aligners to decrease the amount of time it takes to straighten teeth, said Timothy Wheeler, a professor in the College of Dentistry and the principal investigator of the study.
“What we hope to see is that this one certain pulse frequency will allow the tooth to move faster,” Wheeler said.
For patients wearing traditional braces, the device has been shown to increase the rate of alignment by about 50 percent, Wheeler said.
The device, called AcceleDent Aura, is manufactured by OrthoAccel Technologies Inc. It is available for about $1,000 from some orthodontists.
Calogero Dolce, the chair of UF’s Department of Orthodontics, said he is interested in the results of the study.
“Clearly, the hope is that the teeth will move faster, which means treatment will finish faster, which means kids will be done sooner, which is a win-win situation for everyone, “ Dolce said.
Sabina Staruszkiewicz, a 19-year-old UF finance freshman, has been dealing with braces for the second time in about a year and hates them.
She thinks a lot of patients will want to use this new device.
“If I could have had these off in six months, I would have paid double the amount,” Staruszkiewicz said.
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/22/2014 under the headline "Pulses could straighten teeth"
