Cranial, early treatment & new international members.

This is an issue that will make you think. Gavin James and Dennis Strokon present a review of the series of articles they published in the IAO Journal. I found this to be a very helpful summary of the cranial hypothesis and its practical application with the use of the ALF which they do so well, as they demonstrated in Ireland.

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President Olson suggested that I reprint the article, Stability and relapse: Early treatment of arch length deficiency, by Bob Little, now retired, from the Univ. of Wash.; it was presented at the International Symposium on Early Orthodontic Treatment, February 8-10, 2002, in Phoenix, Ariz. and published in the June 2002 Jour. AJO/DO. The conclusions are that nothing is stable, but preserving the E space with a lingual arch is best in mixed dentition treatment. Also, that expansion has the worst stability. This was based on 26 cases, and the exact mode and type of expansion wasn't defined, but I'd place a large wager that it wasn't functional, or early. Research from our group is desperately needed.

Also from the Symposium is an article by Lysle Johnson, the perennial thorn-in-our-side. He disparages the use of articulators, early treatment and functional appliances. 'Nuff said? But he is always a good read, if only to give us an insight into academic thinking. He does point out that long-term studies indicate that the only lasting effect of functional appliances is a retrusion of the midface, and not mandibular growth. He doesn't mention vertical and airway changes and the various factors that allow for mandibular repositioning (a la Voudouris et al, AJO/DO 2003). I doubt that he is familiar with Biobloc Orthotropics.

We welcome all of our new members: from Ireland, Anthony O'Connor, Brendan Bastible and Der O'Connor; from Norway, Trond Galtung and Geir Olsen; from the US, Jeff Johnson and Eric McRory; and from Canada, Evan Evans. The meeting in Ireland was very enjoyable with our international members. There has been a proposal to change our name to the International Academy of Gnathological Orthopedics. A vote will be taken at the January meeting, and 2/3 of the members present will be necessary to pass this amendment to our Constitution. Remember, your dues must be paid and your reservation received by Dec. 15 to avoid a $100 late fee for the Maxillo-Facial meeting.

Jack L. Hockel, DDS