The traditional orthodontic practice runs like a well oiled machine and provides a comfortable living for the orthodontist. The orthodontist’s job is to do what every other orthodontist does, keep all the balls in the air, and produce straight teeth in the shortest time possible. The goal of straight teeth fitting like gears never changes. Success is assured as long as this practice model, honed to a sharp edge by many others who came before, is followed.
Why change what works? I understand that sentiment and followed that model myself until I decided that the goal of straight teeth alone was not acceptable to me. I knew there had to be more. Questioning what we are taught in our training isn’t what most people do, but I’m an Eagle Scout.
When I decided to change the goals of what I was doing from straight teeth to better balanced faces and optimized airways, I knew I was entering uncharted territory. There was no practice model to follow. Change was unsettling, but I knew I had no choice if I was to be true to my principles and respect the person I saw in the bathroom mirror every morning.
I should not have worried. Simply no longer removing permanent teeth and stopping retraction produced better looking faces. Rather than worrying about my practice suffering, it grew with people coming from other towns as word of mouth spread, decades before the internet.
My practice grew dramatically as dentists and mothers alike saw the difference. In the small rural state of Vermont, my practice became much more successful by making a few changes to help faces grow more favorably.
I felt much better about what I was doing and decided that I didn’t want to retire. I wanted to move to California, start a new practice, and try to influence others to make the changes I had made.
Early in my California practice I discovered that making faces look better made airways better. I learned everything I could about airway and changed almost everything in my practice. I rejected all forms of retraction and made optimizing the airway the primary treatment goal for every patient.
In orthodontist saturated Southern California I had patients driving past literally hundreds of orthodontists to see me north of Los Angeles. For those familiar with California freeways, one has to have a strong reason to leave San Francisco, Sacramento, or San Diego to drive or fly to Los Angeles for orthodontics.
The internet helped my practice grow with many patients flying in for treatment. I stopped counting when I had identified patients from over 30 states and several foreign countries coming for treatment.
By being true to my major goal of optimizing health, my practice flourished.
As one of my biggest mentors, Dr. Omer Reed, said:
“If it’s been done, it’s probably possible.”
It has been done, and I feel better about the person I see in the mirror every morning knowing that I’m not just straightening teeth.
Have you ever had second thoughts about what you were taught to do? What’s keeping you from changing?
If it’s been done, it’s probably possible.
