Risks In Orthodontics: A patients guide to avoiding unsound orthodontic practices, and incompetent practitioners
Orthodontics, like any other profession has its share of weak practitioners. Dentists who took a weekend course in orthodontics, and then call themselves an orthodontist. Orthodontists who save money by not sterilizing everything or taking items out of one patients mouth and putting them in your mouth. Orthodontists who ignore allergic reactions to their devices. As a patient or a parent, you can choose your orthodontists so that you are not put at excessive risk. This document lists the most common unsound practices that patients should avoid. I have also enclosed a form at the end that a patient or parent can print out and take with you at the first meeting to interview a prospective orthodontist.
Contents- How to make sure that your orthodontists has been formally trained in orthodontics Dr Jeckel, Orthodontist
- How to make sure that your orthodontist follows the Center for Disease Control(CDC) and American Dental Association(ADA) guidelines on sterilization
- How to make sure that your Orthodontists does not take old braces out of someone else's mouth and put them in your mouth or your child's mouth.
- How to make sure your orthodontists knows the symptoms of metals allergies and how to treat allergic patients.
- How to make sure your orthodontist participates in a study club or other form of continuing education. Introduction
Most orthodontists are caring professionals, who do their very best to help a patient. Still it is amazing how many times I have been contacted by patients who complain about the quality of care. Sometimes the patent is just complaining. Sometimes he/she has not followed the orthodontist's instructions. Still, often the patient has received inferior care. With 13,000 practicing orthodontists in the US, some of them are bound to be less able than others. The object of this FAQ is to give you, the patient, some of the information you need to judge whether you are going to get quality care from a given orthodontic professional.
I want to say up front that there are no guarantees. Orthodontics is an inexact science, so occasionally a case will not turn out as nicely as you hope. Also if the orthodontic patient does not follow the orthodontist's directions the case will not turn out as nice as it could have. Still, as a patient or a parent you can to things to help the case be successful.
In the next several sections we will provide the information you need to avoid the incompenent orthodontists.
