Piezoelectric teeth aligners to accelerate orthodontics treatment

Abstract

In this paper, we are proposing a device that generates vibration to possibly reduce the duration required for the orthodontic treatment by enhancing the tooth movement. This is achieved by harmonically exciting a bio-compatible material, namely polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to generate vibration and consequently a cyclic force at a low frequency of 30 Hz. (PVDF) is a very common piezoelectric polymer due to the high elasticity it can provide, biocompatibility, and its low cost compared to other piezoelectric materials. Applying a cyclic loading (vibration) in general will reverse bone loss, stimulate bone mass, induce cranial growth, and consequently accelerate tooth movement. This has a major effect on the patient’s treatment experience by reducing the associated pain and discomfort throughout the treatment process and hence improves the patient’s compliance with the treatment with negligible side effects compared to therapeutic treatments. The proposed device is fitted to a positioner or tooth aligner. The proposed device can accommodate a voltage harmonic function generator, a casing to house the battery and the microprocessor. Modern methods require a bulky and extra-oral device that is quite cumbrous to the patient. In this paper, an analytical model based on the distributed parameter approach is employed. Finite Element Analysis (FEM) is also employed to study and analyze the Piezoelectric actuation behavior.