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Department of Orthodontics &
Dentofacial Orthopedics
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Paul
C. Armbruster, M.S., D.D.S.
Interim Head, Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
Director, Advanced Education in Orthodontics;
Associate Professor
LSUHSC School of Dentistry
Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics
Box 230
1100 Florida Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
Phone: 504-941-8425
Email: parmbr@lsuhsc.edu |
Clinic patient appointments: 504-619-8572
The field of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics is responsible
for the diagnosis, prevention, interception, and treatment of all forms
of malocclusion of the teeth. Treatment of malocclusions involves the
application of force to the teeth through orthodontic appliances, or
braces, that are attached to the teeth. The force applied to the teeth
moves the teeth to the desired new position within the mouth.
The Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at the
LSUHSC School of Dentistry treats both children and adults with a wide
range of malocclusions ranging from fairly simple problems requiring
only minor tooth movement procedures to very complex problems requiring
comprehensive orthodontics to correct the malocclusion. Two full-time
faculty members, 16 part-time faculty members, and 1 gratis faculty
member are actively involved at all levels of teaching and research
within the Department.
The postgraduate students in the Department of Orthodontics and
Dentofacial Orthopedics spend two years after completing dental school
receiving additional training to earn their Specialty Certificate in
Orthodontics. Four residents are accepted per year into the program.
The residents’ training includes advanced courses, case-based treatment
planning seminars, reviews of current and pertinent historical
orthodontic literature, a research thesis, and active treatment of
patients with comprehensive orthodontic problems. An optional Masters
degree in Oral Biology is available to those interested postgraduate
students. Treatment modalities for the orthodontic patients in the
postgraduate clinic include extraction cases, non-extraction cases,
growth modification cases, and surgical cases. Each orthodontic patient
is presented in a daily seminar where open discussion of the case’s
problems, treatment objectives, and treatment plan occurs between the
faculty, residents, and any undergraduate dental students present.
The undergraduate dental students are taught 2 preclinical courses and
one clinic course within the Department that introduce them to the
basic concepts of tooth movement and the various appliances used in
treating patients. The clinic course during the third year is a
rotation based course where the students spend time in the orthodontic
clinic shadowing the orthodontic residents. Additionally, those
students on rotation attend case presentation seminars by the
postgraduate residents to the departmental faculty. Attendance at these
seminars reinforces the diagnostic and treatment planning skills
required for orthodontic cases. A rotation is available to the lab tech
students allowing them to spend time in the orthodontic lab fabricating
appliances to be used in the clinic.
Each year beginning in January the Department screens patients for
acceptance into the teaching clinic. A resident and faculty member
evaluate the orthodontic problems of potential patients. The patients’
responsibilities and dental school fees are explained at this screening
visit to those cases of good teaching value. Patients who accept the
responsibilities are registered in the clinic and typically begin
treatment in the fall of the same year they were screened. Individuals
interested in becoming an orthodontic patient at the Dental School
should call only in early
January at 504-619-8572 to be given a screening appointment.
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