TIP #104 – At What Age Should We Start Ortho? with Dr Derek Mahony

So we see a child with some missing teeth, some crowding here or there and a bit of a funny bite. Do we intervene now? Or watch and wait, and let them grow into themselves?
In this episode, we chat with Dr Derek Mahony about the age-old question of when to start orthodontic treatment. If you haven’t already, check out our previous episode (Early Airway Intervention & Orthodontics) where we talk about early airway intervention and how this can simplify and optimise orthodontic treatment later on. Because today, we talk about when exactly we should start assessing children, how to assess peak growth and the ideal age to begin treatment.

TIP #97 – Early Airway Intervention & Orthodontics with Dr Derek Mahony

As general dentists, oftentimes we’re the first people to be looking into the mouths of young patients. I know for many of us, treating children can be stressful, and we just want them in and out of there ASAP, no dramas caused. But what if we told you that by doing a simple examination and asking a few key questions, we could make the world of difference to their overall development?

Dr Derek Mahony has been leading the field of orthodontics and early airway intervention for decades now. In this episode, we discuss the links between teeth, the airways and a child’s development. We discuss the importance of a general dentist’s role, the questions we should be asking parents, and what to look out for during our examination of the child.

TIP #68 – Orthodontic Retention with Dr Katie Xu

Have you ever had a bonded wire retainer break off or debond?

Or witnessed relapse occurring despite the fixed wire retainer?

If you’ve done enough ortho cases, the answer is probably yes.

What if you have no occlusal space to place an upper wire?
Zig-zag or straight?
Lab made or direct?
Fixed or removable?
Canine to canine or a shorter wire?

Decisions, decisions!

If these questions about orthodontic retention have ever crossed your mind, tune in because this podcast with orthodontist Dr Katie Xu is going to answer them all.

TIP #60 – A Day in The Life of An Orthodontist with Dr Katie Xu

If you’ve ever thought about specialising in ortho, this is a must-listen podcast.

Meet Dr Katie Xu – a talented young orthodontist who shares with us exactly what it’s like to work as an ortho specialist and how it compares to general dentistry.

She walks us through a typical day in a busy ortho practice and highlights the systems and workflows that make it run like a well oiled machine. Lots of tips you can take straight to the general practice!

Katie also talks about the more challenging aspect of her profession such as the significant amount of non-chairside hours spent on digital treatment planning and correspondence. It’s clear all worth it to her as evidenced by her passionate facebook posts educating GDPs on all things ortho.

TIP #52 – Orthodontics by General Dentists with Dr Tim Maxwell

This is a slightly controversial subject, so we’re going to lean into it with Dr Tim Maxwell.

It’s no secret that there are some specialist orthodontists who are against general dentists performing ortho. One of the reasons is that there is too vast a difference between the depth of education an orthodontist receives versus what’s available for general dentists to start immediately practicing ortho.

For a GP dentist wanting to learn ortho, not having the full support of the specialists doesn’t provide much confidence in what’s already a daunting educational pursuit. Not only that, there are strongly held and contentious opinions out there when it comes to different aspects of ortho: extraction vs non extraction, fixed vs clear aligners, age of intervention, degrees of airway involvement and more, further adding to the confusion.

Dr Tim Maxwell shares how he learned the importance of gaining both breadth and depth in navigating the world of orthodontic education for GPs. He talks about how to critically evaluate various education providers to gain a balanced perspective on the landscape and practice ortho competently and safely.