DIAGNOSTIC DILEMMAS AND THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS IN ORTHODONTICS

Proper diagnosis is especially important in order to achieve the correct and wished orthodontic treatment outcome. Diagnostic procedures in orthodontics usually include a detailed medical and dental history, clinical and functional examination, radiological examination, and cephalometric and model cast analysis. In addition, and depending on the needs of each patient, other diagnostic procedures may be (and sometimes must) be used, such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and 3D imaging. Depending on the diagnostic parameters of the various orthodontic problems there are interventions that either have to be performed or should be avoided.

Failure to receive or/and analyze diagnostic data can lead many times to failure or even worse in iatrogenic effects. Further, it is also very important to take into consideration the fact that actually diagnosis should be considered as a continuous process in orthodontics, which should be repeated at each patient appointment. Of course, not all diagnostic information should be obtained each time, but the orthodontist should evaluate the patient’s clinical status at each visit, and check if all is going well and according to the original treatment plan, or if adverse effects have begun to occur, for which the relevant treatment measures or alternatives should be taken immediately.

This lecture will present and discuss by means of several clinical cases the proper use and interpretation of diagnosis and the corresponding treatment alternatives, which may occur in the everyday clinical practice.

Moschos Papadopoulos, Professor, Chairman and Program Director at the Department of Orthodontics of the School of Dentistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Dr. Moschos A. Papadopoulos is Professor, Chairman and Program Director at the Department of Orthodontics of the School of Dentistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Visiting Professor at the University of Messina, Italy. He served as President of the Balkan Association of Orthodontic Specialists (BAOS) and of the Orthodontic Society of Northern Greece (OSNG). He is also Honorary Editor of the “Hellenic Orthodontic Review” and served as Asst. Editor of the “World Journal of Orthodontics”.

Dr. Papadopoulos served as Member of the Editorial Board of 19 peer reviewed journals, and as Reviewer for 47 orthodontic, dental and medical journals. He is an active member in more than 22 national and international societies, federations, and unions.

Dr. Papadopoulos received several awards and distinctions, among others the “Joseph E. Johnson Clinical Award” and the “Turpin Award for Evidence-Based Research” from the American Association of Orthodontists, the “Regional Award of Merit” from the World Federation of Orthodontists, and the “Special Achievement Award” from the Balkan Association of Orthodontist Specialists.

Currently his main clinical and research interests include the subjects of “noncompliance orthodontic treatment”, “use of miniscrew implants as temporary anchorage devices in orthodontics”, and “evidence-based orthodontics”.

Dr. Papadopoulos has written the books entitled “Orthodontic treatment for the Class II non-compliant patient”, “Skeletal anchorage in orthodontic treatment of Class II malocclusion”, and “Cleft lip and palate: Diagnosis and treatment management”, has published more than 215 scientific publications, and has presented more than 390 lectures, courses and papers worldwide.