Program Highlights

This course brings together information from the other six courses by placing emphasis on the important area of diagnosis and treatment planning. Introductory comments will be made concerning the goals of orthodontic treatment. Following this, the three groups of cases presenting to the orthodontic practice will be discussed. Group 1 cases are non-surgical, Group 3 cases are surgical, and Group 2 cases include the difficult “borderline” non-surgical versus surgical cases. In each situation, the most ideal facial result for the patient is established, including the chosen upper and lower incisor position. The “dental VTO” program is then utilized to determine how the dentition is to be set up behind the incisors. Comments will be made concerning history and record taking. The three aspects of the clinical exam (evaluation of the TMJs, the face, and the dentition) will be reviewed. Diagnosis and treatment planning concerning these three areas will be discussed with numerous case presentations. This course closely coincides with the material covered in Dr. Arnett’s and Dr. McLaughlin’s textbook entitled “Facial and Dental Planning for Orthodontists and Oral Surgeons”. Additionally, the new Avex appliance systems and information on exciting new adhesives used during both direct and indirect bonding will be discussed in some detail. The arch wire system presently used will also be demonstrated. Selected cases from the other six courses will also be presented intermittently throughout the program.

Program Format

• Introduction: The goals of orthodontic and surgical-orthodontic treatment are discussed. In addition, the three groups of patients presented to the orthodontic practice are reviewed.
• Taking the History: A form based protocol for history taking is presented.
• The Clinical Exam: Evaluation of the TMJs and musculature, the face frontally and in profile, and the intra-oral structures are discussed.
• Record Taking: Review of the important aspects of records taken in natural head posture and centric relation is discussed.
• Diagnosis: The TMJs and musculature, the face clinically and cephalometrically (using the soft tissue cephalometric analysis), and the dentition is looked at from a diagnostic standpoint.
• Treatment Planning: Planning the treatment for the TMJs and musculature, the face (using cephalometric treatment planning), and the dentition (using the dental VTO) is discussed.
• Case Reports: Cases in each of these categories will be discussed.
• Also selected cases from the other six courses will be presented throughout the program.

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