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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. Three 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 of Science 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 predoctoral dental students are taught four courses within the department that introduce them to the basic concepts of tooth movement and the various appliances used in treating patients. Each dental student actively treats patients as part of his or her clinic course during the third year of dental school. The typical case represents a minor orthodontic problem that can be resolved with 6 - 12 months of orthodontic treatment. Those dental students wishing to learn more about orthodontics may enroll in an elective course during their fourth year that includes treatment of more active patients with similar minor orthodontic problems. The postgraduate students in the Departments of General Dentistry (AEGD residents), Pedodontics, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics also treat cases involving patients within their own specialties that have orthodontic needs. These residents treat the cases with the guidance of the orthodontic faculty. The dental laboratory technician students are instructed how to fabricate orthodontic appliances during their second year. These students may elect to rotate through the orthodontic lab within the Department for further experience. Each year in January,
the Department accepts
a maximum of 700
names on its screening
list. A faculty member
or resident initially
examines each case
for its teaching
potential. Cases
of good teaching
value are recalled
for a second examination,
and explained the
responsibilities
and fees of orthodontic
patients at the Dental
School. Those patients
that 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 placed on the
screening list.
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