Orthotown January/February 2023 - 17

and expertise. The audiences at several of these
events included orthodontists as well as general
practitioners or a mix of different specializations
the speakers may or may not have been aware of.
Does speaking at such events, or explaining to
general practitioners or mixed audiences, what an
orthodontist is capable of treating and how far we
go to take care of our patients make us complicit
with opportunistic course providers and organizers
who would teach nonspecialists the " how to
treat " rather than the " what to look out for/when
to refer " ? The distinction is obvious.
It is now more important than ever for orthodontists'
websites, and the sites of orthodontic
product manufacturers and professional organizations,
to arm themselves with biologically sound,
scientifically rational and evidence-based facts to
combat misinformation, false claims and propaganda
from vested interests. Regional orthodontic
associations must provide appropriate information
about certified orthodontists and evidencebased
treatment procedures to ensure that
unwary patients follow the correct pathways to a
healthy orthodontic rehabilitation. To maintain
the best possible standards of patient care, routine
clinical audits and appraisals must be conducted
on a regular basis. This must apply not only to
general practitioners but also to specialists.
Patients are trusting and easily misled to
believe that a practitioner is knowledgeable in a
field where they have had little training, testing
or experience. Orthodontists, as a specialty,
should stand up to such iniquitous schemes, and
maybe, just maybe, we will be able to save unsuspecting
patients who seek out reel orthodontists
instead of real ones.17,18
OT
Dr. Adith Venugopal is an associate professor
of orthodontics at the University of Puthisastra,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and an adjunct professor
of orthodontics at Saveetha Dental College and
Hospitals in Chennai, India. He also has a private
practice at Pachem Dental Clinic in Phnom Penh.
Venugopal has published several scientific studies
and clinical reports in international peer-reviewed
scientific journals, and has been the keynote speaker
at many international orthodontic congresses. Email:
avgorthodontics@gmail.com
Dr. S. Jay Bowman is in private practice in
Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is an adjunct professor in
the department of orthodontics at The University
of Michigan, a diplomate of the American Board of
Orthodontists and a fellow of the International and
American College of Dentists, and has served
on the examining committee of the Eastern
Component of the Angle Society of Orthodontists.
Email: info@kalamazooorthodontics.com
Dr. Nikhilesh R. Vaid is the current president
of the World Federation of Orthodontists. He is a
former professor and vice dean of the European
University College in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
and has private practices in Dubai and Mumbai.
He has lectured in more than 50 countries and for
organizations such as the American Association
of Orthodontists, the International Orthodontic
Congress and more. Email: orthonik@gmail.com
References
1.
2.
Thom AR, Graber LW, Maplethorp FA, Vaid NR. " World Federation of
Orthodontists: An Orthodontic Umbrella Organization Coordinating Activities
and Pooling Resources. " J World Fed Orthod. 2020 Oct; 9(3S):S3-S14.
Pangrazio-Kulbersh V, Machado-Cruz R, Liou EJ, Vaid NR, Graber LW.
" Orthodontic Board Certifications: Global Perspectives, Challenges, and
Evolving Trends. " Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists, 2022, ISSN
2212-4438.
3. Venugopal A, Vaid N, Bowman SJ. " The Quagmire of Collegiality vs.
Competitiveness. " Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2021 May; 159(5):553-555.
4.
5.
Vaid NR, Ganatra J, Fadia D, Vandekar M. " Undergraduate Orthodontic
Education: Is There a Slip Between the Cup and the Lip? " APOS Trends Orthod
2015; 5:91-3.
Will LA. " The History of Orthodontic Education: A Century of Development and
Debate. " Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2015 Dec; 148(6):901-13.
6. McDuffie MW, Kalpins RI. " Predoctoral Orthodontic Instruction and Practice
of Recent Graduates in Florida. " J Dent Educ. 1985 May; 49(5):324-6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Gandedkar NH, Vaid NR, Darendeliler MA, Premjani P, Ferguson DJ. " The
Last Decade in Orthodontics: A Scoping Review of the Hits, Misses and the
Near-Misses! " Semin in Orthod. Vol. 2019; 25(4):339-55.
Vaid N, Doshi V, Vandekar M. " What's 'Trend'ing in Orthodontic Literature? "
APOS Trends Orthod 2016; 6:1-4.
Haouili N, Kravitz ND, Vaid NR, Ferguson DJ, Makki L. " Has Invisalign
improved? A Prospective Follow-Up Study on the Efficacy of Tooth Movement
with Invisalign. " Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2020 Sep; 158(3):420-425.
Venugopal A, Bowman S J, Marya A, Subramanian AK, Vaid NR, Ludwig B.
" The World Wide Web of Orthodontics: A Comprehensive Narrative on
Teledentistry Pertaining to the Orthodontics of the 21st Century. " J Orthodont
Sci 2022; 11:1.
11. Vaid NR. " Commoditizing Orthodontics: 'Being As Good As Your Dumbest
Competitor?' " APOS Trends Orthod 2016; 6:121-2.
12.
Kahneman, D. " Thinking: Fast and Slow. " Penguin Books, New York, NY. 2011.
13. Vaid NR. " The Emperor's New Clothes! " APOS Trends Orthod 2019; 9(1):1-3.
14.
15. Kevin O'Brien. " Should General Dentists Provide Orthodontic Treatment? "
Available at kevinobrienorthoblog.com.
16.
" Educator vs. Instructor: What's the Difference? " Available at wikidiff.com.
17. Venugopal A, Jay Bowman S, Marya A. " The Webinar Storm. " Br Dent J. 2021
Sep; 231(6):316.
18. Kurian N, Cherian JM, Varghese VS, Sharma P, Varghese MG, Varghese IA.
" Real Dentistry Amidst the Reels. " Br Dent J. 2021 Aug; 231(4):206-207.
Hirschhaut M, Flores-Mir C. " Orthodontic Learning Curve: A Journey We All
Make. " Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthoped 2021; 159:413-4.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 |
17 | ORTHOTOWN.COM
http://www.kevinobrienorthoblog.com http://www.wikidiff.com http://www.ORTHOTOWN.COM
Orthotown January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown January/February 2023
