The Future Foundation of Orthodontics

Episode #319 with Dr. Drew McDonald

Orthodontics is more than just straightening teeth. And today’s guest, Dr. Drew McDonald, explains how foundational knowledge of patients’ issues can lead to more successful treatment and happier patients. Kirk Behrendt and Dr. McDonald talk about the interconnectedness of airway and joints in ortho and how interdisciplinary understanding can help patients long term. Don't be led astray by the esthetic side of things! For more on the importance of foundations, listen to Episode 319 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Look under the surface — the foundation — in patients’ issues.

Airway and jaw joints influence structure, which leads patients into the ortho chair.

Ortho is more than straightening patients’ teeth.

Don't get lost in the esthetic side of things. Straight, white teeth isn't the endgame.

Understand who’s in your chair so you can give them the best treatment.

Quotes:

“As an orthodontist, we see patients with teeth that don't fit together, teeth that are crowded, whatever it might be. But at the end of the day, when we start peeling back the layers, we’ve got to know where that came from. And what we’re starting to understand, it seems like more and more every day, is that the airway side of things, the TMJ side of things, the growth and development, that those two factors, especially, really influence and create an orthodontic patient. Somebody with a bad bite and bad teeth, under the surface, there's an airway issue, or a joint issue, or both, a lot of the times.” (06:09—06:41)

“If we understand the foundation of our patients from a joint standpoint, from an airway standpoint, from even cervical, spine things, and the bone around their teeth, then we know what's going to be successful and stable long term because we’re addressing the under-the-surface things that got the patient into our chair.” (11:45—12:03)

“The other nightmare of orthodontists is relapse. So, if we can understand the foundation of our patients and what got them, under the surface, into our orthodontic chair, then we set ourselves up for better success, stability, and ultimately, a happier patient.” (12:34—12:48)

“Whenever I, quite honestly, wanted to be an orthodontist, I wasn't thinking about jaw joints or airway stuff. And some of that wasn't really a big part of what we were taught in school. And ultimately, I've gotten to know a lot of very influential people in my life who have taught me so much about the foundational side of joints, of airway. Dr. Mark Piper, he’s a big role model of mine. Jim McKee, in terms of the joints. They're not orthodontists. Those dudes, they put something in my head that did not come from orthodontic residency. But as I went back to patients after seeing them talk, I go, ‘This is my everyday patient. All of these Class II patients that all have clicks and pops, that's no coincidence.’” (13:26—14:15)

“The things that can lead orthodontists astray is that we start thinking about the cosmetic side, the esthetics, that that's all the endgame is for these patients.” (16:48—16:56)

“I think it’s easy in ortho, sadly, at this point in the game, to get led astray. And I will say, it’s a frustration of mine to see — and I'm not saying anything negative of the people that you see all over certain social media stuff. I'm just saying we have a better story to tell. And I think that the story to tell is that we can do more than straight teeth. It’s, we are the people most equipped to do more than straight teeth, and recognize it, and help people structurally.” (17:21—17:47)

“You can't just diagnose something and tell somebody they need to do something. You have to be able to motivate them. And ultimately, you have to know why that person’s in the chair too.”...