In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in finding a noninvasive method to induce the acceleration of dental movement, methods such as low intensity vibrations, pulsed electromagnetic fields, and low-level laser therapy (LLLT). There have been multiple studies on the efficacy of LLLT in animal models, in vitro and in patients without conclusive results. Objective: Evaluate the state of the art on the use of LLLT to increase the rate of the orthodontic tooth movement to create a concise reference guide of the different laser and protocols available. Materials and Methods: We searched online databases for articles with the keywords LLLT, LLLI, OTM, photobiomodulation. Results: We found conflicting information as to the efficacy of LLLT to accelerate OTM. There is no consensus in the way the irradiation should be performed. Conclusions: The lack of a standardized irradiation protocol makes it hard to compare conflicting results, even in cases where the laser have the same technical specifications.

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The objective of this article was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to contrast the existing evidence on the effect of mechanical vibrations, either high or low frequency, as an alternative to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement in humans. A literature search from 2010 to June 2021 was conducted in the electronic databases: PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane, and Ovid, using the eligibility criteria to identify the studies. Only randomized clinical trials (RCT) were included. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool and the risk of bias (RoB) in individual studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane bias risk tool. Fifteen RTCs were included for final review. Overall, the RoB was classified as low (3), moderate (5), and high (7). Three articles with low RoB, four with moderate RoB, and four with high RoB found no significant effect in the use of vibrations on orthodontic movement. Only four articles, three of them with high RoB and one with moderate RoB, found that mechanical vibrations are effective at accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. The results seemed to indicate that there is no evidence that vibratory stimuli can increase the rate of dental movement or reduce neither the time of dental alignment nor canine retraction during orthodontic treatment. It is important to note that a greater number of high-quality randomized controlled trials are urgently needed.