Embracing a New Era
We wish we could say that all of your orthodontic cases will go as you plan, but that is not always the case. The philosophy and techniques that are taught by Gerety Orthodontic Seminars are predictable and systematic; the human element of the patient comes into play. Patient compliance and cooperation if imperative for successful treatment; after all, the patient does have to show up for appointments. Over the years we have learned that the more we as dentists can perform procedures that are not reliant on the patient, the better the treatment outcome. Thus our reason for employing a “fixed technique” rather than appliances based on patient cooperation and compliance. We want you to plan for the worst and hope for the best out of the patient.
From our experts at Gerety Orthodontic Seminars, here are five things that we recommend you do to reduce problems and surprises.
During your classroom sessions as well as the online programs, we provide strict criteria for you to follow to insure you do not begin cases that are outside your skill level. 80% of malocclusions fit into the criteria we provide. For the remaining 20%, we recommend you refer those cases out until you have gained the confidence, knowledge and skills that are required to treat the more difficult orthodontic cases. Practicing orthodontics should be fun and rewarding and we should embrace the idea of selecting cases that fall into that 80%.
One of the most important steps for you to avoid any trouble with your orthodontic cases is to ensure you keep proper records to the standard of the care that has been established by the orthodontic community. Properly documentation of your orthodontic cases provides the information needed to formulate the treatment plan and provides a professional visual at the consultation; allowing the parents to understand what you are planning. The quality of your documentation should be such that the records can be used by any other provider such as for a second opinion from an orthodontist. Your documentation is the cornerstone of your treatment and should be excellent in the event you find yourself needing to legally defend your orthodontic treatment.
Before you begin the treatment, you need to have extra-oral and intraoral photos, a panorex, white stone models or digital models, and a cephalogram with a completed tracing. A complete and thorough oral examine to include evaluating the TMJ and orafacial abnormalities and habits.
Orthodontic treatment can be unpredictable to time. Again, we are working with the human body and no two people are the same. At Gerety Orthodontic Seminars we have developed a series of treatment plans that are associated with an average predictable time period which will aid you in estimating the time of treatment. We offer patient modules for different malocclusions; providing the students with treatment plans they can choose from to fit their individual orthodontic patient. This is especially beneficial for our beginning doctors that have limited experience with orthodontic treatment.
A discussion must be held with the patient/parents/legal guardian utilizing lay terminology to provide sufficient information for the responsible party to accept or reject the proposed treatment plan. This discussion must be documented and should include:
Gerety Comprehensive Orthodontic Programs are committed to incorporating the most current and enhanced orthodontic concepts as we teach the General Dentist to master orthodontics and to successfully integrate it into their general practice. Our student- teacher ratio and continued support is unparalleled to any other program. Our team of 5 instructors provides each student with dedicated individual support in and out of the classroom, proving our commitment to your success. During each session we devote class time to review student cases. Present your cases and we will help you with case selection, diagnosis, treatment planning and sequencing, and problem solving. This is a great opportunity to learn from your classmates cases too.