Description
A Contrarian’s View of Contemporary Orthodontic Practice
Why do we treat patients? Is it primarily for esthetics or is it primarily for health - “the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit: especially: freedom from disease or pain”? How do we define health? Is it a psychosocial condition, the ability to chew comfortably or the need to improve and maintain periodontal health? Or is it the need to prevent or resolve TMD?
Additionally, when we treat patients, are ABO standards the only appropriate criteria for determining effective outcomes? If those standards are not achieved, does that mean our treatments are flawed? I believe there are other criteria that can be used to judge successful treatment.
This presentation will explore these issues from the perspective of the scientific literature and from more than 40 years of clinical experience.
Learning objectives:
- Evaluate the benefits of orthodontic treatment for health vs. esthetics.
- Differentiate between scientific fact and dogma.
- Recognize criteria other than the ABO grading system for judging the success of orthodontic treatment.
Contributors
-
Dr. Peter Shapiro
Dr. Shapiro is a Clinical Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington. He received his BA in English Literature from Brown University, his DDS from Howard University and his Certificate of Proficiency in Orthodontics and MSD from the University of Washington. After completing the orthodontic program, he spent three years in an NIH-sponsored fellowship working with Dr. Ben Moffett in the area of craniofacial biology. He has published and lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and maintains a private practice in Seattle.