Orthodontics Beyond the Pretty Smile

ALF Case Study Summary
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Orthodontics: Beyond the Pretty Smile

Choosing an orthodontist can be a daunting task. Professional public relations pretty much all focus on the sizzle, straight teeth and the pretty smile. The other distraction offered is the delivery vehicle, invisible braces, braces bonded to the back of your teeth, porcelain brackets, removable appliances and the latest mechanical technology that comes upon the scene. Hidden in the mist of all the hype is a common denominator that 99.99% of practicing orthodontists and their university instructors have no knowledge of, that is, the teeth are integrally related to the skull. This concept may seem trivial to the prospective patient but is unfortunately reality. Orthodontists and most practitioners using the ALF appliance have no clue that changing the position of the teeth in your mouth directly alters the alignment of the skull bones and internal cranial membrane system. As an international lecturer I have witnessed first hand the devastating effects of well meaning orthodontists making the teeth straight as an arrow but the patient has lost their quality of life because of chronic pain and dysfunction directly caused by their skulls being twisted and/or compressed.

Six important questions to ask before choosing an Orthodontist

If you are in the process of interviewing an orthodontist to straighten your teeth, the following questions will prove vital to your health. If they get annoyed, belligerent and look at you uneasily and cannot answer your questions satisfactorily you are probably in the wrong office.

  1. Have you had any training in assessing cranial bone motion?
  2. Have you had any training in adjusting patient's skulls?
  3. When you start my treatment, do you have a means of assessing the 3-dimensional relationship of my skull bones before, during, and after treatment?
  4. Do you asses the effect your braces have on my skull bone alignment at each visit?
  5. If your adjustment to my braces distorts my skull will you know how to fix it?
  6. Do you work with an osteopath or chiropractor to make sure my body can handle the changes you are making to my skull?

These questions are designed to help protect your health and quality of life. Most people assume that the professional they are going to knows what he or she is doing and has the skills to provide you the best service. Do your homework before venturing into uncharted waters.



Dental / Whole Body Connection • Copyright © 2016 • Gerald H. Smith, DDS, DNM