2 minute read
Sorting Out Controversies in Orthodontic Treatment
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By Richard Anthony, DDS MS, Blackhawk Orthodontics
I often hear from prospective orthodontic patients that have visited several offices that they have received a different treatment plan from each practitioner to correct the same orthodontic problem. They also often ask, “Why is that?” My response is that the corrective course of orthodontic therapy to an optimal treatment goal is akin to taking a journey to a particular destination; and that there may often be more than one effective route to go from one given place to that same destination.
So how is a potential patient seeking orthodontic treatment supposed to figure out what advice—or philosophy—is the best treatment plan to pursue for themselves or their child? And particularly now, with access to all kinds of information on the internet search engines, the sorting-out of the myriad of treatment philosophies in modern orthodontic care has risen the sense of confusion to the layperson to a whole new level. The most common examples of competing orthodontic philosophies are: early extraction of teeth versus jaw development with no extractions; the use of headgear at night versus functional appliance wear without headgear; twophase early treatment (before the loss of all the baby teeth) versus one-phase treatment (after all the permanent teeth erupt); and traditional braces versus using the new Invisalign system. Some of the above mentioned treatment alternatives have been controversial in the orthodontic research literature for over fifty years!
Which of these alternative treatment philosophies are the best choices? The answer is not cut and dry. Some topics in orthodontics are fairly well agreed upon by most researchers and practitioners. However, some issues are less universally agreed upon. So, just like the journey to a given destination, there may be more that one way to effectively treat some orthodontic problems. For example, taking the freeway may usually be the fastest route to a particular town; however, if there is an accident or it happens to be during rush hour traffic with a big delay, taking a back road may be the best solution in this case. My advice is to discuss these issues that apply to your situation with your perspective orthodontist in order to make a truly informed decision and agree to a common-sense treatment plan that is best for you or your child.
