Originally posted by bcDDS
wow...I really didn't want to drag this thread out, but since I am getting flamed, I should probably clarify my posts.
I stand by everything I said. For all that want to discredit the challenging aspects of the field, I ask this one question. Would you be willing to pay the difference to have a specialist do your ortho over a general dentist? I'd be willing to bet that most of the people who roams these forums, including those that claim that ortho can be easily done by a gp would go to a specialist, no matter what the difference in cost.
I'm no saying that Ortho is rocket science. But anyone that says it's the easiest thing you can do is a bit misinformed. I get the impression that people think it's some straightforward craft that can be picked up with just experience. Maybe they've done one simple class I malocclusion case - mild crowding. What about class II, III, cleft palate coordinated treatments, orthognathics, etc - what about all those cases? What, do you think every ortho case is just about crowding? I used to be a staff dentist at a children's hospital, and I would sit in on the monthly cleft palate meetings. I was pretty impressed by the scope and knowledge of the orthodontists that helped coordinate the treatment plans. If an assistant or hygienist can treatment plan 99% of the ortho cases, what the heck do we need orthodontists for, let alone dentists? Statements like that are just a stretch. Very few general dentists, understand cephalometric analysis, SNA, SNB, ANB angles, craniofacial growth patterns, etc., let alone assistants. That's what 3 year accredited ortho programs are for. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye.
I'm not saying you can't do any ortho as a general dentist. Sure, money can be made, but I'm not talking about money, I'm referring to standard of care orthodontics. You can probably treat simple cases if this what you really want. But if you can't do it at the level of the specialist, you should stay away. A LOT of things can go wrong in ortho, especially if you don't really know what you're doing. Just wait until you see cases with buccal recession, root resorption, ankylosis, etc. We're talking about irreparable damage here. Furthermore, wait until you've been slapped with the lawsuits that follow. I've chosen not to touch any ortho cases that come my way, no matter how simple I think they might be. They all get referred. It's just my philosophy. Specialists exist for a reason, and every patient deserves the standard of care. I've seen a lot go wrong with ortho, and it's a choice that I've made. But if you think you know what you're doing, it's your call.
Obviously I'm not an orthodontist, but I'll say that I have a lot of respect for the field. I've been around it more than I care to discuss, and it really wasn't as easy as I once thought it to be. Come on, let's give em the respect they deserve... 🙂
