The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that marketing claims to support Acceledent – a device designed to speed up treatment – are misleading.

Acceledent is a hand-held oscillating device which can be purchased by patients wearing braces or aligners with the advice that the vibrations of the device help the teeth to move faster.

OrthoAccel Technologies Inc., based in Germany, claimed on its website that Acceledent could speed up treatment by up to 50% and that the device was clinically proven to reduce the pain and discomfort associated with wearing braces by up to 71%.

An NHS orthodontist complained to the ASA saying these claims were misleading and questioned whether they could be substantiated.

In its ruling1 issued on 4 July 2018, the ASA said it had examined research and case studies provided by OrthoAccel Technologies Inc. and ruled that the claims could not be substantiated and were misleading.

The British Orthodontic Society welcomed the decision and its Director of External Relations Richard George said: 'This is the third time in the last few years that the ASA has upheld a claim of misleading advertising in relation to an orthodontic product based on the lack of good quality evidence.

'Orthodontic treatment can take up to two years to complete and so the quest to speed up the process is understandable. However, what matters most is the quality of the treatment so that the best possible results can be achieved. The priority should be to see an orthodontist or a dentist with recognised enhanced skills who can meet your needs.'