Accelerated Orthodontic Treatment in Kent and Sammamish
Accelerated orthodontics at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design is built on the techniques that have actually outperformed standard protocols in peer-reviewed trials – case-specific wire selection, digital planning with clinically indicated imaging and coordinated corticotomy for complex adult cases.
Reviewed and approved by Dr. Cameron Freelove, DDS, MS · Last updated
Vibration devices and stand-alone laser therapy are not offered because the evidence does not support charging families for them.
Why Do Braces Take So Long?
Most comprehensive braces cases run 14 to 24 months because standard archwires apply the same force to every tooth. Incisors are small with thin roots. Molars are large with multiple roots.
When the same wire pushes on both, it overpowers the small teeth (causing a lag phase where the bone around them shuts down) and underpowers the large teeth, which barely move. The orthodontist compensates by changing wires multiple times. Typically three to four progressions.
Each one a separate office visit and a new cycle of biological adaptation.
The lag phase is the single biggest bottleneck in orthodontic treatment. When the periodontal ligament receives too much force, the tissue dies temporarily (hyalinization), and no movement happens until the body clears the damaged tissue. This can stall a single tooth for weeks and pushes finishing adjustments later into the schedule.
Accelerated orthodontics is the broad term for any technique that shortens treatment time beyond conventional protocols. Some approaches are supported by strong clinical evidence.
Others are marketed aggressively but fail to outperform standard mechanics in randomized trials. Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design takes an evidence-first approach: the acceleration techniques offered in Kent and Sammamish are the ones that have survived independent scrutiny in the published literature, and the ones that have not are openly discussed so families can decide with full information.
Corticotomy & Bone Grafting: For Complex Cases
For patients who need the strongest surgical acceleration, or who need bone augmentation to move teeth safely into thin bone, we coordinate corticotomy and bone grafting procedures with a periodontist. This is the most evidence-supported surgical acceleration technique in the literature, producing 2–3× faster tooth movement.
In a corticotomy, the periodontist makes small cuts in the cortical bone around the teeth being moved and places bone graft material to thicken the bone envelope. This triggers a more intense Regional Acceleratory Phenomenon than MOPs alone and simultaneously builds bone volume, which is critical when teeth need to be moved into areas where bone support is thin.
Corticotomy is more invasive than MOPs and requires a separate surgical appointment. It is reserved for cases where the clinical benefit is substantial, adult patients with dense bone, complex movements into compromised bone, or situations where treatment time reduction of 40–60% is worth the added procedure.
What Actually Shortens Treatment Time
Outside of the surgical and wire-based techniques described above, the single most reliable way to shave months off a braces or aligner case is to eliminate the appointments and biological delays that quietly stretch treatment. Dr. Freelove focuses on several evidence-supported levers that do not rely on additional procedures or unproven hardware.
Precise Biomechanics and Wire Selection
Choosing the right wire sequence for each patient matters more than using any single branded acceleration product. Dr. Freelove selects wires case-by-case rather than using a fixed one-size-fits-all progression, and the practice keeps a documented wire-sequence rationale for every case: treatment typically begins with a light nickel titanium wire for initial alignment, progresses through heavier rectangular nickel titanium for torque control, and finishes with stainless steel or TMA for detailing. G & H platinum proportion archforms. Since braces treatment is digitally planned, the patient’s final archform is considered from the beginning and is matched with a platinum proportion archform. This is part of each patient’s custom treatment plan.
This matters for speed because a wire that delivers the wrong force for a given stage of treatment is, by definition, time being wasted. Light forces on aligned teeth accomplish nothing. Heavy forces on crowded teeth trigger the lag phase. The point of case-specific wire selection is to keep every tooth under biologically appropriate force throughout treatment so movement never stalls.
Self-Ligating Brackets
Dr. Freelove uses self-ligating brackets. The practice does not claim superior results with self-ligating brackets over twin brackets, but in certain cases they offer easier handling for the doctor and clinical team.
Self-ligating brackets do not dramatically accelerate tooth movement compared with well-tied conventional brackets, the RCT evidence on speed is modest and inconsistent, but they do reduce friction at the bracket-wire interface and eliminate the elastic ties that would otherwise discolor over a twelve-to-eighteen-month case.
Digital Planning with Clinically Indicated Imaging
Every comprehensive case at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design begins with an intraoral scan and clinically indicated imaging so the treatment plan is built on the patient’s actual anatomy. Root position, airway volume, bone thickness, and TMJ architecture. Rather than on a two-dimensional panoramic estimate.
Digital planning up front lets the orthodontist anticipate biomechanical obstacles before they appear clinically: a thin cortical plate that would slow premolar retraction, an impacted canine that will need early exposure, a sinus close to an extraction site.
Catching those issues before bond-up is the difference between a case that finishes on schedule and one that stalls mid-treatment for an imaging redo.
Custom Prescription Brackets
Most orthodontic practices still rely on stock brackets, a one-size-fits-all approach where the same bracket shape is used on every patient, regardless of how their teeth are actually positioned. Dr. Freelove takes a different approach with KLOwen custom digital braces. Each bracket carries a prescription designed for that specific tooth from a digitally planned custom setup, rather than adapted from a generic mold.
That precision supports more efficient, more predictable tooth movement. In KLOwen’s published multicenter study, patients treated with its custom braces finished sooner and averaged about seven fewer office visits than patients with traditional stock brackets.
Acceleration Methods: What Works and What Doesn’t
The market for accelerated orthodontics includes several approaches. Some are backed by strong evidence, others by marketing. Here is an honest comparison:
| Method | How It Works | Evidence Level | Typical Cost | At Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro-Osteoperforations (Propel) | Tiny bone perforations trigger the Regional Acceleratory Phenomenon, a localized increase in bone turnover | Moderate, systematic reviews show 1.5–2× acceleration in some studies; a 2021 meta-analysis of low-bias RCTs found no benefit from a single application | $500–$1,000 at practices that offer it | ❌ Not routinely offered. Evidence on single-application MOPs is mixed |
| Corticotomy / PAOO Available | Surgical cuts in cortical bone + bone grafting; raises mucoperiosteal flap. Performed by periodontist | Moderate-strong, 2–3× acceleration; most invasive but strongest surgical evidence | $1,500–$3,000+ | ✅ Coordinated with a periodontist |
| Low-Level Laser Therapy | Photobiomodulation aimed at stimulating cellular activity in the PDL | Low-moderate, inconsistent outcomes across protocols | $500–$2,000 | ❌ Not offered, evidence insufficient |
| Vibration Devices Not Recommended | Mouthpiece producing micro-vibrations (AcceleDent, VPro5) | Weak, multiple RCTs show no significant acceleration; manufacturer of AcceleDent ceased operations | $800–$1,000 | ❌ Not offered, no evidence of benefit |
| Piezocision | Ultrasonic bone cuts through gum tissue without raising a flap | Moderate, limited human RCTs | $1,000–$2,500 | Discussed case-by-case |
Why Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design Does Not Offer Vibration Devices
AcceleDent and similar vibration-based devices were marketed aggressively to orthodontic practices and patients for most of the 2010s.
Multiple systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials have since concluded there is no consistent evidence that vibration accelerates orthodontic tooth movement, and AcceleDent’s manufacturer has ceased operations. Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design does not charge patients $800–$1,000 for a device that has not outperformed placebo in the better-designed studies.
Why Low-Level Laser Therapy Is Not Standard Here
Photobiomodulation with low-level laser has shown some positive signals in smaller trials, but protocols vary dramatically (wavelength, dose, application interval) and the systematic reviews continue to find inconsistent results. Until the evidence base stabilizes, Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design prefers acceleration techniques with more reproducible outcomes and does not charge for LLLT as a separate adjunct.
How Accelerated Treatment Works at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design
Step 1: Free Consultation
Dr. Freelove evaluates the bite, reviews the patient’s dental and growth history, captures an intraoral scan with Aoralscan 3, and develops an individualized treatment plan. This varies widely based on each patient’s needs. Simple cases may finish in 12 months or less, while more complex cases can take up to 24 months or longer. Because every treatment is digitally planned from the start using digital records, clinically indicated imaging, and custom braces or aligners, Dr. Freelove aims to treat as efficiently as possible. The practice’s digital workflow is designed to reduce treatment time compared to traditional methods by minimizing bracket repositioning, optimizing wire sequencing, and planning the final result from day one.
Step 2: Digital Treatment Design
Before bonding begins, the case is designed digitally. Dr. Freelove maps the planned movements virtually so bracket placement, extraction decisions, and anchorage are confirmed before bond-up.
Aligner patients receive a case-specific setup reviewed frame-by-frame before fabrication begins rather than a factory default. The goal is to eliminate the mid-treatment rework that slows cases planned with paper records.
Step 3: Efficient Appointment Flow
Standard comprehensive braces cases run 14 to 24 months at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design.
The schedule is kept on track by bonding both arches on the same day when clinically appropriate, bonding second molars in roughly 90% of cases when indicated (so the terminal molars finish with the rest of the arch rather than dragging out finishing).
Honest Limits: What Accelerated Treatment Will Not Do
Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design discusses treatment acceleration with families the same way Dr. Freelove discusses any other clinical decision, with the evidence in front of them. A few plain-language boundaries are worth stating before any acceleration technique is elected:
- Acceleration does not change skeletal growth or jaw relationships. A Class II malocclusion, an open bite with skeletal origin, or a transverse deficiency is corrected by growth modification, aligners, braces, or surgery, not by speeding up tooth movement.
- Moving teeth faster through wrong biomechanics produces wrong results faster. If a wire or aligner setup is delivering the wrong force vector, acceleration simply gets to the wrong answer more quickly. Wire selection and digital planning come first; acceleration techniques complement them.
- Hygiene and caries risk do not care about speed. Faster tooth movement does not lower the daily plaque-control burden. A patient who struggles with brushing and flossing carries the same decalcification and decay risk whether treatment runs twelve months or six, so Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design treats hygiene readiness as a gate on acceleration, not an afterthought.
- Retention matters as much as movement. Relapse is more likely when finishing is rushed. Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design includes one set of Essix retainers with every case and offers the optional Retainer Plan ($680), so replacing a lost retainer does not start from scratch.
Acceleration Options for Aligner Patients
Acceleration for aligner patients works differently than for braces because there is no archwire to optimize. The Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design approach for Invisalign and clear aligner patients focuses on the two levers that actually move the timeline: the quality of the digital setup and the tempo of aligner changes.
Case Setup Quality
The single largest source of aligner treatment delay is a suboptimal digital setup.
Attachments placed in the wrong spots, movements scheduled in an inefficient order, or a refinement strategy that was not planned up front. Dr. Freelove reviews every aligner case frame-by-frame before fabrication and, where the clinical situation calls for it, builds the case on Angel Aligner’s platform specifically because of the iOrtho planning workflow and the practice’s direct control over attachment design, aligner staging, and refinement limits.
A case that starts with a precise setup finishes faster than one that has to be re-planned at the refinement stage.
How Much Does Accelerated Treatment Cost?
What the Standard Treatment Fee Includes
At Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design, the acceleration techniques that Dr. Freelove considers well-supported by the evidence, case-specific wire selection, digital planning with clinically indicated imaging, are built into the standard comprehensive treatment fee.
Patients are not upsold an accelerator product on top of the base plan. Metal braces start at $5,000, and the full fee schedule for metal, ceramic, and aligner treatment is published on the braces cost page.
Optional Surgical Acceleration (Case-Specific)
Surgical acceleration techniques, corticotomy/PAOO or piezocision, are not routinely offered at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design and are discussed only when the clinical benefit is substantial for a specific adult case.
When a referral is appropriate, fees are set by the referring periodontist and quoted separately; typical ranges in the Kent and Sammamish market are $1,500–$3,000+ for corticotomy and $1,000–$2,500 for piezocision.
Micro-osteoperforations are not part of the standard treatment menu; the published evidence on a single application is mixed and the clinical benefit relative to repeated procedures is uncertain.
Financing
In-House Financing (0% financing options available, no credit check), Monthly payments spread over treatment duration.
CareCredit, $0 down, hard credit check, interest applies after promotional period.
Pay in Full, 5% discount applied automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much faster can treatment realistically go?
Honest answer: for most comprehensive cases, the evidence-supported acceleration techniques offered at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design shave weeks to a few months off a conventional 18-to-24-month timeline rather than cutting treatment in half.
Digital indirect bonding, precise wire selection, digital planning with clinically indicated imaging all reduce rework and between-visit drift, which adds up. Claims of 40–60% faster braces typically rely on surgical acceleration (corticotomy) and are reserved for specific adult cases, not routine treatment.
What techniques does Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design use to keep treatment on schedule?
case-specific wire selection rather than a fixed progression, digital planning with clinically indicated imaging, and disciplined bonding of second molars when clinically appropriate so the terminal teeth finish on time. These techniques are built into the standard treatment fee, not sold as add-ons.
Does Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design offer Propel or micro-osteoperforations (MOPs)?
MOPs are not part of the standard treatment menu at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design.
The published data are mixed: systematic reviews show 1.5–2× acceleration in some studies, but a 2021 meta-analysis of low-bias RCTs found no benefit from a single application, and repeated MOPs across multiple visits are needed for the more favorable results. Dr. Freelove can discuss MOPs at the consultation when a specific case appears to warrant the added procedure, but they are not recommended routinely.
Do vibration devices like AcceleDent or VPro actually work?
Multiple systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials have found no consistent evidence that vibration devices accelerate orthodontic tooth movement.
AcceleDent’s manufacturer ceased operations. Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design does not offer vibration-based acceleration because the evidence does not support charging patients $800–$1,000 for a device that has not outperformed placebo in the better-designed studies.
What about low-level laser therapy for acceleration?
Photobiomodulation with low-level laser has produced some positive signals in smaller studies, but protocols vary widely (wavelength, dose, application schedule) and systematic reviews continue to find inconsistent results. Until the evidence base stabilizes on a reproducible protocol, Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design does not charge patients for LLLT as a separate acceleration service.
Can accelerated treatment be used with Invisalign or clear aligners?
For aligner patients, acceleration options center on optimized change frequency (many patients change aligners every 7 days), along with the same digital planning used for braces cases, using digital records and clinically indicated imaging. Surgical adjuncts such as micro-osteoperforations are not a routine part of aligner treatment at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design.
Is there anything families should NOT pay extra for to speed up braces?
Dr. Freelove recommends skipping vibration devices (AcceleDent, VPro) and stand-alone low-level laser therapy, both have failed to show consistent benefit in well-designed trials.
Families should also be cautious about any “fast braces” marketing that promises six-month comprehensive treatment; short cases are appropriate for mild cosmetic cases, but comprehensive correction of bite, crowding, and facial balance still requires a biologically appropriate timeline.
Want Faster Results?
The evidence-supported acceleration techniques offered at Freelove Orthodontics & Smile Design are included in the standard treatment fee, not sold as add-ons. The free consultation includes a digital intraoral scan, a treatment plan, and a cost breakdown. Community discounts apply.