How to make sure your orthodontist participates in a study club or other form of continuing education.
The next several pages list the most common unsound practices that patients should avoid. This page covers How to make sure that your orthodontist follows the Center for Disease Control(CDC) and American Dental Association(ADA) guidelines on sterilization Other pages will cover How to make sure that your orthodontists has been formally trained in orthodontics 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.
It is important for your orthodontist to participate in a study club or other form of continuing education
There is one other thing a patient should consider. Does the orthodontist participate in a study club or other form of continuing education? Orthodontics is like any other profession: the techniques change over time. In the last few years, sterilization protocols have all changed, and new concerns about allergies to braces have arisen. It is very important for your orthodontist to have a way to keep up.
Most orthodontists keep up by joining a study club. A study club is a group of orthodontists who get together to talk about the latest techniques. Sometimes there will be an outside speaker. Other times the orthodontists will be discussing specific cases. Orthodontists learn a awful lot when they get together with their peers. It keeps them thinking; it is surprising how many tidbits people bring back. Also by helping out your peers, you end up helping yourself.
In my experience, the care is better when the orthodontist participates in a study club even though the orthodonitist might not be learning that much. As a result, I recommend that you find an orthodontist who is a member of a study club.
What is a patient to do?
The key thing is ask. When does the study club meet. What do they discuss?. There a few fine orthodontists who do not participate in a study club because there are no study clubs in their area. However, there usually will be a study club, and if your orthodontist does not participate, you should find out why before you start treatment.
