anyone tried an acceledent?

[diamond63]

I have one, and I used it heavily during my first year of treatment. I am now a year and 6 months in and almost done. The past 6 months I guess I got out of the habit of using it. During the first year however, I had some really rotated canines, and they were taking their time straightening out. My ortho actually said they were taking longer than he thought - and this was when I was using the Acceledent every day. That being said, who knows, maybe they would've taken even longer?

By the way, I have ceramic brackets on top and metal brackets on bottom.

[lilyflower]

I'm skeptical about the long-term risks if you move too fast - root resorption etc. Has there been any data published on this? Sure, I'd LOVE to cut my treatment time in half but it's not worth it if all my teeth end up falling out Part of the reason I'm doing this in the first place is to AVOID extractions/dentures/bridges later.

I have invisalign and was told to use the chewies 15 min a day every day (no matter where I am in treatment) so maybe that has the same effect of chewing gum?

[Cgibbo05]

I just finished with my braces and was using Acceledent for a little under four months. They quoted me for a two year treatment and I got them off in 11 months. Had I used it every day as directed I'm sure I would have gotten them off sooner! My orthodontist suggest this due to the fact that I did not want to be an adult in braces and it worked wonders. I am getting ready to sell the device now.

[djspeece]

Having completed several hundred cases using Acceledent I can attest to its effectiveness. It does sound too good to be true, If you want to see a few treated cases, here is a fun video I put together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbmmhFMQl8s

There have been a lot of questions raised in this forum, so I want to try and clear them up:

-> DO NOT BUY THEM SECOND HAND. They are designed to stop working after 18mo of once daily use, so you'll be stuck with one that goes dead on you with no means of replacing it.

-> Due to more efficient treatment and better outcomes, we include Acceledent in the cost of care for most patients when tooth movement (and not growth) is the limiting factor.

-> It does allow teeth to move 30-50% faster, but much of how fast treatment proceeds has to do with the skill of your orthodontist and biologic variation between individuals. Most patients we treat with it are done with treatment in 6-12 months.

-> It also helps with comfort.

Our office is also a part of a clinical trial using photobiomodulation with a device called OrthoPulse (an LED light) to accomplish the same things as Acceledent. I welcome any questions you have.

So as it turns out, this very thread, the one you are currently reading and is 5 pages long at this point, is the one in which Dr. Frey urged caution on reusing Acceledent! I wonder if this should be made a sticky.

For emphasis.

[chubstuf]

My name is Kristina and I just finished treatment using Acceledent. I LOVED it. I was told I would have to wear Invisalign for 16 months, but finished about two weeks ago after about 8 months. I was the first at my dentists office to use this device and initially learned about it on the Realself website. It sort of seems like a scam because the action of the mouthpiece is so minimal, but it totally worked and was helpful in reducing discomfort when changing into new retainers. If anyone has any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to let you know what my experience was like!

[BrightSmiles]

I loved my Acceledent. People with smaller movements might not be sure it's working, but I did about a year without -- and once I bought it, some of the stubborn teeth FINALLY started moving!

I was definitely getting more movement with only a week at a time per tray. I've never regretted my investment (and thank goodness for no-interest credit cards). And I thought my dentist was exaggerating, but I did find that it was a relaxing thing to do before bed. It gave me an excuse to take 20 minutes and wind down, read a little, etc. Usually I just try to swing from GO GO GO to SLEEP and it doesn't quite work out. So the quietly purring wind-down was a bonus.

If anyone's interested, mine is an adult size in great shape with the whole kit and caboodle - travel case, charger, booklet, warranty. Adult size flat tray (the most common). Let me know!

[graduatewotrays]

[quote="BrightSmiles"]I loved my Acceledent. People with smaller movements might not be sure it's working, but I did about a year without -- and once I bought it, some of the stubborn teeth FINALLY started moving!

I was definitely getting more movement with only a week at a time per tray. I've never regretted my investment (and thank goodness for no-interest credit cards). And I thought my dentist was exaggerating, but I did find that it was a relaxing thing to do before bed. It gave me an excuse to take 20 minutes and wind down, read a little, etc. Usually I just try to swing from GO GO GO to SLEEP and it doesn't quite work out. So the quietly purring wind-down was a bonus.

If anyone's interested, mine is an adult size in great shape with the whole kit and caboodle - travel case, charger, booklet, warranty. Adult size flat tray (the most common). Let me know![/quote]

Hey BrightSmiles, can you please contact me regarding this? The email is glamourkills521@gmail.com Thanks!

[DrJasonKTam]

As mentioned above, the units are designed to stop working after 18 months of daily 20 minute use. Theoretically, you could share the unit with someone if you both had treatments totalling less than 18 months, I suppose.

The other caution is that many of the units tend to malfunction. Our patients will bring the unit back to the office and we can issue a warranty replacement based upon the serial number.

Our patients are using it with Invisalign and there are definitely cases that I would not attempt without the unit. Certain movements work still take longer than others, but tracking and comfort are improved.

[MizWhy]

Only one week into my Invisalign treatment (24 trays total). Interested in Acceledent but my ortho charges $1400, higher than any price I've seen quoted on forums like this. Considering this device is basically an electric toothbrush with mouth guard and USB, I don't understand how it could cost 3x more than a smartphone.

Even if I try chewing gum or finding a used device on eBay and I get results, how do I explain to my ortho that I need to change out my trays faster? I really liked this ortho after checking out a couple, but now I feel locked into this ridiculous Acceledent pricing. Has anyone found a way to negotiate a lower price (rebates, etc.)? My ortho is supposed to be a leading Invisalign practitioner who does training and lectures, so you'd think they'd be able to buy in bulk and offer discounts. Given what they charge, I doubt they'd treat me with Acceledent if I brought in a used unit.

My treatment should only last a year, and given the lack of good studies maybe I'm better off forgoing Acceledent. It's probably not worth the hassle of switching to an ortho with better pricing, but it would be nice to shorten treatment time even by three months. I'd pay $500 for this device, but $1400 could buy so much more than a mouth vibrator.

Anyone have experience negotiating with your ortho or getting permission by them to use a unit you purchased elsewhere?

[Shelleyt]

$1400 is the highest I have heard. Mine is $1000 and that included a warranty for my full treatment (24+ months). I thought that seemed too high considering I know others who have gotten it for 300-500.

If your treatment is only a year, I would agree it's probably not worth it. I wonder if the advantage to acceledent is less the device itself and more the orthos willingness to believe it makes you ready for trays, adjustments in half the time. Either way, for me it was a no brainer with 24 month treatment time and my wedding next December.

[MizWhy]

[quote="Shelleyt"]$1400 is the highest I have heard. Mine is $1000 and that included a warranty for my full treatment (24+ months). I thought that seemed too high considering I know others who have gotten it for 300-500.
If your treatment is only a year, I would agree it's probably not worth it. [/quote]

Thank you, Shelley! Just called around and out of four other orthodontists in my area, only one charges the Acceledent company's base retail price of $1k. One charges $600 but says there's not much interest from patients; one charges what they pay the distributor, which is $700; and the orthodontist I almost used doesn't offer it at all.

I think I was almost a victim of the hard sell on a device that's easy profit, which makes me think much less of the orthodontist office I chose. I'm so disappointed because I've been pleased up till now. They were a referral from my dentist, whom I respect, so that's a double disappointment. I'll be on guard now for the rest of my treatment.

That two orthodontists I called don't seem impressed by the device makes me feel a little better.

[Shelleyt]

Yeah like I said I'm not as much convinced by the device as I am that for some reason the ortho seemed willing to do wire changes/adjustments almost twice as often if I ordered it- so hopefully one way or another it gets me out of braces sooner! However I feel like an idiot paying $1000 for a hunk of plastic wiTh a vibrating mouthpiece!

[Pixelada]

My orthodontist wants to charge me $1200 for the Acceledent! I think that is quite pricey considering what other people have paid. Can I get it from another orthodontist? Will my orthodontist even treat me with it if I get it somewhere else?

Is it worth it to spend $1,200 on top of $7,300?

I need advise!

Thanks!!!

[djspeece]

Having completed several hundred cases using Acceledent I can attest to its effectiveness. It does sound too good to be true, If you want to see a few treated cases, here is a fun video I put together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbmmhFMQl8s

There have been a lot of questions raised in this forum, so I want to try and clear them up:

-> DO NOT BUY THEM SECOND HAND. They are designed to stop working after 18mo of once daily use, so you'll be stuck with one that goes dead on you with no means of replacing it.

-> Due to more efficient treatment and better outcomes, we include Acceledent in the cost of care for most patients when tooth movement (and not growth) is the limiting factor.

-> It does allow teeth to move 30-50% faster, but much of how fast treatment proceeds has to do with the skill of your orthodontist and biologic variation between individuals. Most patients we treat with it are done with treatment in 6-12 months.

-> It also helps with comfort.

Our office is also a part of a clinical trial using photobiomodulation with a device called OrthoPulse (an LED light) to accomplish the same things as Acceledent. I welcome any questions you have.

So as it turns out, this very thread, the one you are currently reading and is 5 pages long at this point, is the one in which Dr. Frey urged caution on reusing Acceledent! I wonder if this should be made a sticky.

For emphasis.

[sunrose205]

I used an acceledent for my treatment (ceramic on top, metal lower), and it cut the treatment time from the estimated 24 months to 13 months (just in time for my wedding!) The first unit died after a year, but it was replaced on warranty, so the one I have is only 3 weeks old. I'd like to sell it if anyone's interested.