An occasionally irregular blog about orthodontics
One basic principle of health care is that we should not cause harm to our patients. Nevertheless, information on the harms we may cause in orthodontics is very limited. A new study from Denmark examined this question. I thought it provided useful information we could use with our patients. A team from Aarhus and Copenhagen [ ] The post An interesting study looks at orthodontic treatment harm.…
A child who snores may seem harmless. But for some children, noisy sleep can be a sign that breathing is being interrupted during the night. This group of problems is called sleep-disordered breathing. It ranges from simple snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea, where the airway partly or fully closes during sleep. When this happens, a [ ] The post When Snoring Is More Than Snoring: Sleep Breathing…
Artificial intelligence appears to have many applications in dentistry. One of these may be to aid orthodontic screening. This is particularly relevant in countries where orthodontic treatment is government-funded for specific populations. In this context, AI-driven remote monitoring may help identify key factors that determine the need for orthodontic treatment. This system was examined in [ ]…
Sleep matters. It helps us learn, grow, and feel ready for the day. But some teenagers have obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition where breathing becomes partly blocked during sleep. This may lead to snoring, broken sleep, and drops in blood oxygen. A new study looked at whether orthodontic expansion could help. Orthodontic expansion is a [ ] The post Can Orthodontic Expansion Really Help…
Getting a good night’s sleep is a big deal. It helps you learn, grow, play sport, and feel like yourself. But some children have trouble breathing properly while they sleep. This is called sleep-disordered breathing. It can range from regular loud snoring to a more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnoea. In sleep apnoea, breathing [ ] The post Breathing, Snoring Sleep, and Braces:…
This is another follow-up post related to my recent lecture at the European Orthodontic Society Congress. Since then, I ve been thinking a lot about my presentation. I want to revisit an earlier topic I’ve discussed: the reasons people reject high-quality research findings. I first shared some thoughts about this ten years ago, introducing the idea [ ] The post Can we escape the web of research…
Clear aligner treatment for teenagers is now common. Still, we do not know whether it is as effective as fixed appliances. This is because there remains a dearth of high-quality research on the effectiveness of aligners. As a result, this new study provides us with useful information. A highly regarded team from the University of [ ] The post Do clear aligners really work for teenagers? appeared…
Social media is having a tremendous influence on the provision of orthodontic treatment. However, there are concerns about the veracity of the information that is being provided by companies, general dental practitioners, and orthodontists. This is important because there is little regulation of social media. As a result, there is a danger of claims being [ ] The post What do orthodontists think…
In an ideal orthodontic world, we would see our patients every 4 weeks to tighten ligature ties. However, this is not always possible, and the interval sometimes increases to between six and eight weeks. I used to wonder whether this would affect the efficiency of tooth movement, particularly alignment. This issue has been examined in [ ] The post Do we need to retie ligature ties on aligning…
I had the honour and pleasure of working with Professor Bill Shaw in Manchester for 40 years. His research in orthodontics raised fundamental questions about the need and benefits of treatment, he supervised the development of the PAR and IOTN indices, he was one of the main drivers of RCT methodology in orthodontics and was [ ] The post Can you help support Alzheimer’s research in honour of Bill…