“Rather than relying on technologically advanced, mechanical methods of straightening teeth into an arbitrary alignment, the focus is shifting towards new means of recognizing and then addressing the etiology of malocclusion.” school. Additionally, as well as being detrimental to the development of the face, jaws and teeth, if left untreated pediatric SDB can lead to significant and seri-ous health problems causing poor quality of life later in adulthood. “Untreated OSA can result in serious morbidity and mortality mostly caused by cardiovascular disease and traffic accidents.” 20 Understanding of the relationship between upper airway and neuromuscular dysfunction, poor craniofa-cial development and malocclusion has progressively improved during the last century. Nowadays, because malocclusion is recognized as a symptom of the same upper airway and neuromuscular dysfunction causing SDB, “treating these patients presents unique opportunities for orthodontists to collaborate with other medical special-ties to improve a patient’s health and treatment outcome.” 21 After a century of following the fundamentals of Angle where an arbitrary occlusion has been the stan-dard by which orthodontic treatment success has been judged, even though very little advancement has been made regarding the science of occlusion, the orthodon-tic profession is now asking the hard questions evoking potential rapid change. Rather than relying on techno-logically advanced, mechanical methods of straighten-ing teeth into an arbitrary alignment, the focus is shift-ing towards new means of recognizing and then addressing the etiology of malocclusion. “The paucity of our present knowledge of etiology in orthodontics compels us to attack the cause and effect rela-tionship from the wrong end – that of effect. By working backward we shall undoubtedly arrive at the beginning, someday. How nice it would be to approach it from the other end.” 22 Dr. Tom Graber 1962. Now, the profession can begin employing more evidence-based approaches. Because “Orthodontists can ask sleep-related questions in the health history to help iden-tify sleep breathing disorders. Treating these patients presents unique opportunities for orthodontists to collaborate with other medical specialties to improve a patient's health and treatment outcome.” 23 As a result of new treatment systems focused on the etiology of malocclusion as well as breathing and myofunctional disorders, there is now an opportunity for the orthodontist as well as the pediatric and general dentist to collaborate to become more closely inte-grated into the medical profession. Myofunctional orthodontics ideally incorporates evidence based, biological solutions from the past, creating brighter futures for all. REFERENCES 1, 8, 17 The Australian Society of Orthodontists web site www.aso.org.au 2 ORTHODONTICS and the “PINOCCHIO FACTOR” by Dr Robert Cerny, BDS, MDSc. Specialist orthodontist Australasian Dentist 3, 4, 15 Centennial guest editorial. James L. Ackerman. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics March 2015 Vol 147 Issue 3 5, 6, 7, 22 Graber, T. M. (1962) Orthodontics; Principles & Practice, Chapter 6, Etiology of Malocclusion – Extrinsic or General factors. 9, 18 Centennial guest editorial. Henry W. Fields. Amer-ican Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Ortho-pedics July 2015 Vol 148 Issue 1 10 American Journal of Orthodontics Dec 1968 Vol 54 No. 12. 11, 12 MYOBRACE. (2015). World Fencing Champion Miles Chamley Watson visits Myobrace Center. [Online Video]. 24 November 2015. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKiF_-yCBzw. 13, 14 Kanao A, Mashiko M, Kanao K (2009) Japanese Journal of Clinical Dentistry for Children, Vol 14, No. 4 April 16, 19, 20, 21, 23 American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics November 2015 Vol 148 issue 5: 740-7 20 Winter 2017 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Winter 2017: Page 20
