Orthotown October 2016 - 55


by David R. Boschken, DMD
David R. Boschken, DMD,
graduated from the University
of California, Berkeley, with a
double major in biology and
anthropology. He received his
DMD from the University of Pennsylvania Dental
School (where he also earned his orthodontic
certification), and completed a residency at Guy's
and St. Thomas Hospital in London. Boschken is
recognized as an Elite Invisalign Top 1 percent

I recently sat down to reflect on my
nearly two decades of practicing orthodontics
and how innovation, practice development,
customer service, access to orthodontic care
and most importantly, clinical skill, have
influenced the patient experience.
It struck me that there's still much to
learn about practicing orthodontics, despite
incorporating most major advancements
ranging from self-ligating brackets (Damon
System), aligner therapy (Invisalign) and
laser treatment (AMD/Biolase) to TADs
(Vector TAS), sleep apnea (Great Lakes) and
accelerated orthodontics (manual osteoperforation, or MOP, using Propel Orthodontics'
Excellerator drivers).
How is it, with all of this technology, I
still feel every new patient could present a
potential problem with treatment outcome?
Why does access to orthodontics seem more
out of reach for the millions of Americans who
could benefit from a beautiful, functioning
smile? When potential patients actually seek
orthodontic care, do they shy away from
modern options? I wonder if empowering
patients while simultaneously offering them
advanced technology might answer some
questions.

provider and has been a member of the Align
Technology speakers' bureau for 16 years,
training primary care dentists and orthodontists
in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
He has served on the clinical advisery board at
Propel Orthodontics and has been one of its key
opinion leaders since the company was founded.
Boschken owns orthodontic offices in Los Altos
and San Jose, California.

Accelerated orthodontics
For decades, accelerated orthodontic
options primarily involved open-flap corticotomy or invasive treatment techniques
pioneered by the Wilckodontics masters,
Tom and Bill Wilcko. More than 30 years
ago, the Wilcko brothers' groundbreaking
techniques paved the way for doctors to
speed up traditional nonaligner orthodontic
treatment while reducing the chances of
serious complications.
Most recently, Propel Orthodontics
realized that New York University's ongoing
scientific research on accelerated orthodontic
treatment using MOP procedures might
revolutionize orthodontics through "bone
poking" and bring in a new era of accelerated
orthodontics. The Excellerator device may
help reduce treatment time by up to 62 percent
and significantly increase predictability.1
Since I adopted the use of MOP, it has
revolutionized my practice and how I treat
patients. The goal of my practice has always
been to offer the latest techniques that optimize
treatment outcome, reduce chair time, increase
profitability and assure patient satisfaction.
However, not every patient is thrilled
about the idea of drilling holes into their head.
orthotown.com \\ OCTOBER 2016

55
http://www.orthotown.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown October 2016
