Tag: clinical issues

The Disappearance of Excellence: One Orthodontist’s Opinion.

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 6 Comments
A Guest Blog Post by Prof. Arnold J. Malerman  DDS;  Clinical Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

“The difference between a good Orthodontist and a great Orthodontist is attention to detail.” ~ Brainerd F. Swain, DDS

Today marks the start of an interesting series of Guest Blog Posts by prominent figures and authorities in the orthodontic community from around the world, who have graciously agreed to share their personal viewpoints regarding some important issues related to the orthodontic profession, here on The Orthodontic Notefile. The aim of these guest blog posts is to raise awareness and start a wider discussion of varying points of view regarding many debatable issues facing the orthodontic profession today, therefore your participation in the discussion in the comments section below is highly encouraged and welcome.

In the first of these guest posts, Professor Arnold J. Malerman; Clinical Professor of Orthodontics at the University of Pennsylvania, shares with us his personal opinion regarding what he believes to be three major issues facing orthodontists in the 21st century.

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To Master or Not to Master?.. That is the Dilemma!

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 4 Comments

In this post, I would like to share my brief opinion regarding what I view as the dilemma of choice between true mastery versus the trend of relentless adoption of new technologies in Orthodontics and Dentistry in general.

“Plowing through complexities without first mastering the basics is a trap even the most intelligent can fall into. “

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Class III Malocclusion Camouflage using the Damon Q Self-ligating System :: A Summary Case Report

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 11 Comments

In my first blog post in 2016, I will be presenting a brief case report demonstrating the effectiveness of the proper use of a passive self-ligating system (Damon Q) in camouflage treatment of an adult with a malocclusion of considerable skeletal discrepancy, namely; Class III malocclusion in this particular case.

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Communication 101 for Orthodontists

~ Shadi Samawi ~ Leave a comment

“A doctor, like anyone else who has to deal with human beings … cannot be just a scientist; he is either, like the surgeon, a craftsman, or, like the physician and the psychologist, an artist. This means that in order to be a good doctor a man must also have a good character, that is to say, whatever weaknesses and foibles he may have, he must love his fellow human beings in the concrete sense and desire their good before his own.”

— W. H. Auden

“With the evolution from a paternalistic to an autonomous (self-rule) perspective of health care delivery, many patients no longer unconditionally accept a doctor’s expert authority to dictate therapy without considering options. The doctor’s communication style must therefore convey an appreciation of the patient’s concerns and complaints, as well as verbal skills that involve the patient in the decision-making process—all in an empathetic, personalized manner.”
– Peter Greco (The Salient Skill. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2015;147:301)

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Checklists in Clinical Practice: A Simple Driver for Excellence

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 5 Comments

“Checklists seem able to defend anyone, even the experienced, against failure in many more tasks than we realized.”

― Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

What Do We Mean By A Checklist?

As per the definition of Hales et al;  A checklist is an organized tool that outlines criteria of consideration for a particular process. It functions as a support resource by delineating and categorizing items as a list—a format that simplifies conceptualization and recall of information.

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“Rapid” Orthodontics.. Is There Such A Thing.. Yet?

~ Shadi Samawi ~ Leave a comment

“I’m in no hurry: the sun and the moon aren’t, either. Nobody goes faster than the legs they have. If where I want to go is far away, I’m not there in an instant.”
― Alberto Caeiro, The Collected Poems of Alberto Caeiro

In certain orthodontic marketing circles, the answer would be: Well, Of course there is!

© Shadi Samawi
© Shadi Samawi

However, as always, what we are really concerned with is scientific evidence rather than pure marketing talk. In this post, I would like to highlight some of the biological factors and limitations that are known to exist and this should make us think twice before flatly accepting such claims of faster tooth movement.

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Non-Sense & Sensibility: Distorting Smile Aesthetics in the Frenzied Social Media Age

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 1 Comment

“Give them Quality. That’s the best kind of advertising.” ~ Milton Hershey

Let’s put it out there bluntly: We are distorting the aesthetic sense of the public, plain and simple!

And by “we” I mean “us”, dental professionals who are supposedly the custodians and guardians of people’s smiles and oral health. The public today is under constant bombardment by images of so-called “smile makeovers” a lot of which are  sub-standard, to say the least,  and often without justification, under the guise of a laughable marketing term; The Hollywood Smile. Sadly, this seems to be especially true here in the Middle East. How this “One smile fits all” notion started can probably be traced back to the rise of social media and its associated online marketing several years back!

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Active versus Passive Self-Ligation? : Control versus Low-Friciton?

~ Shadi Samawi ~ 2 Comments

“In Matters of Self-Control, As We Shall See Again And Again, Speed Kills. But a Little Friction Really Can Save Lives.”

~ Daniel Akst

In my previous post, I talked about my personal thoughts and experiences with Passive Self-ligating brackets. There are many Cons and Pros to PSL, but how do they compare to ACTIVE self-ligating systems (ASL)?… and would a Hybrid appliance of both Active and Passive SL design give us the best of both worlds?

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