Early Orthondontic Treatment of Mandibular Retrognathism Doesn’t Make any Sense
Mandibular retrognathism with overjet of the incisors isn’t an uncommon sight as far as children are concerned and appears with high frequency in orthodontics. Many orthodontists recommend an early treatment when children are at primary school and the permanent dentition hasn’t developed yet. Their arguments are: Early intervention enhances the growth of the facial skeleton, […]
Orthodontics and Health – Dishonest Marketing for Orthodontic Treatment
Exceedingly few orthodontic findings are diseases – precisely, the concept of disease is only valid for the lip-jaw-palate clefts. In fact, most of the orthodontic findings have to be classified as deviations from the ideal without causing disease. However, orthodontists often claim that orthodontic deviations could indirectly cause other diseases. We have conducted two searches […]
Interview “Der Spiegel” No. 18, 2018
“Just Have a Look at This Nonsense” Read here:Interview in the Newsmagazine Der Spiegel (in German, PDF)
The Statement on the Federal Audit Office Issued by the DGKFO is Dishonest and Scientifically Intolerable
After the Federal Audit Office in its annual report had criticized missing care research and proof of benefit for orthodontic treatment in Germany, this caused enormous excitement. The German Society for Orthodontics (DGKFO), the scientific organization of German orthodontists, presented a press release on this issue on April 26, 2018 in which the DGKFO declared […]
Manual Structural Analysis (MSA) According to Bumann
The Manual Structural Analysis (MSA) according to Bumann comprises a series of manual techniques for the examination of the jaw (temporomandibular) joints (TMJs). Manual techniques (examinations performed with the hands) have been mainly developed in the USA and the Netherlands since 1970. That’s why a variety of manual techniques for the examination of the TMJs […]
Functional Orthodontics
Functional Orthodontics describes the treatment with Activator-like appliances. It was originally introduced by Viggo Andresen in 1935. Since then, a perplexing number of activator-clones have appeared including the Bionator, the Bite-Former, the Kinetor and the Functional Regulator, amongst others. Apart from Andresen the Austrian Karl Häupl was very much engaged in Functional Orthodontics. Both authors […]
Early Orthodontic Treatment – a Huge Swindle
According to the international gold standard it’s common to start orthodontic treatment when the patients’ early permanent dentition is present. The young patients are at the age of 11 to 12 then and all permanent teeth have erupted. At this time most of the patients can be treated with a single fixed appliance in about […]
Criticism of German Orthodontics on NDR
On January 16, 2018 the TV program “Visite” on NDR (a regional TV channel) reported critically on German orthodontics. Dr. Madsen was available as interview partner and had contacted a patient beforehand who had been treated in a questionable way. Maybe, this kind of report might lead to the future avoidance of senseless early orthodontic […]
Fastbraces – the Next Flop in Orthodontics
In orthodontics it seems to be a fashion that some manufacturers of brackets give unrealistic promises in sales promotion. It’s particular popular to claim that in comparison to other brackets bracket X called for a shorter treatment duration, less appointments, more comfort, minor root resorption and less wires. Fastbraces was developed around 1995 by Anthony […]
The right time for starting orthodontic treatment
Orthodontists often provide their young patients and parents with confusing information about the right time for starting orthodontics. Some colleagues recommend starting with orthodontics when the kids are at preschool age or at primary school – referring to a developmental stage when kids have their primary dentition. Basically, it’s very simple: The permanent dentition should […]
Parents, please pay attention: Removable appliances are obsolete, inefficient and uneconomic
All over the world orthodontics with fixed appliances is considered to be the gold standard. Only in Germany about fifty percent of treatment duration concerning adolescents is performed with removable appliances. However, “removables” aren’t a full-value alternative to fixed ones: Many tooth movements like the rotation of lateral teeth and lengthening or shortening of teeth […]
Removable retainers aren’t often worn efficiently and are unreliable
After an orthodontic treatment the dentition would always be prone to relapse if the outcome wasn’t stabilized properly. The stabilization of orthodontic treatment outcomes is possible with the help of removable and fixed appliances. For common plates, favourably used in Germany for retention, the prescribed wear-time is eight to sixteen hours a day. In a […]
Removable appliances aren’t cost-effective
For a long time it was claimed that orthodontic treatment with removables is cheaper than using fixed braces. Swedish scientists checked this statement in a cost evaluation study, published in 2015. For their study they chose a quite common task of treatment for which removable appliances can also be used: early correction of posterior crossbite […]
Hand wrist radiographs in orthodontics are obsolete
Surprisingly the hand wrist radiograph is part of the x-rays basically required in orthodontics. Generations of orthodontists believed to be able to predict the special growth spurt during puberty making use of hand wrist radiographs. On behalf of this prediction the orthodontic treatment should be planned at a perfect time which should lead to a […]
Removable appliances have no effect on jaw growth
Since the 1930s many orthodontists, mainly in Germany, believed to control the growth of the jaws by removable orthodontic appliances. Especially with functional appliances like Activator, Bionator or Twin Block the lower jaw should be increased or decreased in length. These appliances were used particularly for correction of mandibular retrognathism. Until now functional treatment is […]
A study from Tübingen proves: Removable appliances can’t be worn enough
Most of the removable orthodontic appliances must be worn at least 12 hours a day in order to achieve the desired tooth movement. Many orthodontists even ask their young patients to wear the removable devices for 14 to 16 hours a day. Recently scientists from the University of Tübingen have shown that this is completely […]
Early orthodontic treatment: great promises, modest results
Almost all over the world it’s of common use to start orthodontic treatment when the patients’ permanent dentition is present. This has its logic because it’s generally questionable to start treatment in the primary dentition in order to go on with the permanent dentition after their eruption. This actually results in two courses of therapy. […]
Orthodontics prior to 11 years of age is scientifically questionable
Orthodontic treatment of young patients is initiated between 11 and 12 years of age almost all over the world. At this time the permanent dentition is most likely established and there are ideal conditions for a short and least stressful orthodontic treatment using only one fixed appliance. By contrast, it’s common use in Germany to […]
Fixed functional appliances have no effect on jaw growth
Since the 1930s many orthodontists, mainly in Germany, believed to control the growth of the jaws by orthodontic appliances. Especially regarding the retrusion of the lower jaw functional orthodontic appliances were used for treatment although the smart ones among the orthodontists doubted the influence on skeletal growth. Since 1970 fixed appliances have been used for […]
Do we need a Ceph for Treatment Planning?
For some decades randomized controlled studies (RCTs) have been the gold standard for evaluating therapy effects in medicine. This kind of studies give the most concise and reliable answer for clinical questions. Unfortunately, dentistry lags behind in that respect, and in orthodontics there are still many conservative colleagues who debate the need for such high-standard […]