Treating Class II and III Malocclusion and Compliance

Over the course of my project, I have learned about overbites, underbites, crooked teeth, and various forms of malocclusion.

Each one of these are treated differently, and it takes longer to treat some than others. Underbites and overbites (classes II and III respectively) take the longest to treat because they require movement of the jaw. The younger the patient, the easier they are to treat. Past adolescence, treatment for classes II and III requires orthognathic or other types of surgery. Young patients, however, can use headgear or reverse headgear to correct their malocclusion.

While an orthodontist can give her/his patients headgear and send them on their way, it isn't guaranteed that they will wear it. In order to ensure compliance as much as possible, the orthodontist should take steps such as explaining the importance of treatment and getting the patients' parents on board.

Answer 2

1. What is your EQ?

What is the most important factor an orthodontist must consider when treating a patient?

2. What is your first answer?

Orthodontists must understand their patients' needs in order to treat them.

3. What is your second answer?

Patient compliance should be taken into account when treating a patient.

4. List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

• Compliance can reduce treatment time in some cases, increasing patient satisfaction.
• Not complying (i.e. not wearing rubber bands or appliances when instructed to) prolongs and reverses treatment.
• Compliance is fostered by factors directly and indirectly relating to the orthodontist, such as office environment and doctor-patient dynamic.

5. What printed source best supports your answer?

Pakravan, Darren Cyrus. "Comparison of Adult Patient- and Orthodontist-Reported Compliance and Satisfaction with Treatment Outcome." Order No. 1452688 University of Illinois at Chicago, 2008. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

6. What other source supports your answer?

Hardy, Daniel Kenneth. "Predictors of Orthodontic Patient Compliance." Order No. 1561908 University of California, San Francisco, 2014. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

7. Tie this together with a concluding thought.

Without compliance, there would be no point to regular orthodontic visits or paying for treatment. Something as small as not wearing retainers can take a patient back to square one and waste both time, money, and effort. If an orthodontist can ensure patient compliance, they are likely to be on a steady path to proper treatment.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I intend to continue shadowing my mentor and study each of the cases he takes on while I am present.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will provide pictures of what I observe and do as evidence of my 30 hours.

3. Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This component will help me explore my topic in more depth through experience. Orthodontics is partly learned through experience and observation, so I plan to utilize those two learning tools. Additionally, it will help me get research material and find my answers to my essential question.

Independent Component 1

LITERAL
a. I, Marisa Ruiz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 34 hours of work.
b. My mentor, Dr. Banh, DDS, and the Dental Board of California (DBC) have helped me complete my independent component. My mentor was gracious enough to let me shadow him and to break down some of his treatments. The DBC gave me a sense of direction for completing necessary courses.
c. Here is a link to my updated Senior Project Hours Log.
d. My 34 hours have consisted of shadowing my mentor, learning about how the practice is run, and taking courses that are required for unlicensed dental assisting (Basic Life Support, Dental Practice Act).

INTERPRETIVE
The work I have completed is important to my project because the best way for me to find out the most important factor to consider when treating a patient is for me to watch an orthodontist at work and to ask questions directly. Additionally, the coursework I completed was helpful in understanding some of the basic knowledge required to enter the dental field. Dentistry is really the first step toward specializing in orthodontics, after all.

Certificate of Completion for course on Dental Practice Act

Certificate of Completion for Basic Life Support course

Watching the making of alginate molds
during slower hours

TADs - an appliance that my first interviewee
explained to me and that I saw my mentor
working on while I shadowed

APPLIED

This component helped me understand the foundation of my topic better through eyes-on (I wasn't allowed to actually do much myself) and face-to-face learning. Whenever I had a question about an appliance or the purpose of a patient's treatment, I had the opportunity to chime in with, "What does that do, Dr. Banh? How does that one work? Does that stay on all day? Where does that attach?" and similar questions. Taking courses helped me by showing me what guidelines an orthodontist (or regular dentist) must follow when treating a patient and what is required of them from the beginning.