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From the Editor ORTHO TRIBUNE | MARcH SUpplEMENT2 O rthodontics is holistic dentist- ry. Surely that is correct. We, as prudent orthodontists, do not just treat a malocclusion; we treat a human being who happens to have a malocclusion. This is a mind-body-spirit unity, and orthodontists are unique among professionals in this respect. Attor- neys compose legal opinions while accountants get to the bottom line of a balance sheet. However, an ortho- dontist who does not treat the patient as a whole (holistically) misses the entire point of being a doctor. These observations are not new concepts; the doctor-patient rela- tionship is omnipotent. Bad rela- tionships can do actual harm. Who would doubt that patients who trust their doctors are likely to do better than those who don’t? A sympathetic and compassionate doctor is more likely to be diagnos- tically and therapeutically accurate than one who imitates sympathy or has little compassion. In our world of dentistry, every- thing we know about alternative treatment modalities and the heal- ing power of a listening bartender indicate that people are likely to be best treated by doctors who treat them as whole and complete human beings. Not that I am Asklepios, the found- er of medicine and reputed ances- tor of the Asklepiades, the ancient Greek doctors’ guild, but the ulti- mate answer to doctor-patient rela- tionships and healing probably lies deep in a metaphysical labyrinth. It is rather obvious that patients have contexts, and the contexts matter and need to be understood. Often the whole family of a young orthodontic patient will need to be in the mix of a patient’s treatment for a successful result to occur; the orthodontist is the go-between to the whole nexus in which his or her patient is treated successfully or not. We might have a duty only to the patient, but in order to properly fulfill that duty for legal purposes, the tentacles of understanding and enquiry must be ubiquitous. Obviously, it is improper to treat only the symptoms of a disease. Practicing as holistic doctors, we acknowledge that malocclusion is most often a symptom of something else, and our job as orthodontists is to track that problem to its source in order to accomplish effective and stable results. This sounds almost mystical and, hopefully, exhilaratingly mystical. It makes every orthodontist a psy- choanalyst, a detective, a shaman, a priest and a friend; it requires every doctor to be a whole human being, which is a highly romantic but essential calling. Only whole human beings can treat whole human beings. Being a whole human being is not always easy to demand of anyone, but it is a particularly important demand of all clinicians whose training is so concentrated, who must be knowl- edgeable about so much and whose time per patient is so terribly lim- ited — and now that is a problem. How can orthodontists be made whole? How can we be equipped to deal effectively with the complex bundles of contradictions we call our patients? That is the quintessen- tial essence and answer of doctor- ing! OT (This editorial was inspired by an original essay: Foster, C. (2009). Why doctors should get a life. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 102, pp. 518–520.) Jay Bowman, DMD, MSD (Journalism & Education) Robert Boyd, DDS, MEd (Periodontics & Education) Earl Broker, DDS (T.M.D. & Orofacial Pain) Tarek El-Bialy, BDS, MS, MS, PhD (Research, Bioengineering & Education) Donald Giddon, DMD, PhD (Psychology & Education) Donald Machen, DMD, MSD, MD, JD, MBA (Medicine, Law & Business) James Mah, DDS, MSc, MRCD, DMSc (Craniofacial Imaging & Education) Richard Masella, DMD (Education) Malcolm Meister, DDS, MSM, JD (Law & Education) Harold Middleberg, DDS (Practice Management) Elliott Moskowitz, DDS, MSd (Journalism & Education) James Mulick, DDS, MSD (Craniofacial Research & Education) Ravindra Nanda, BDS, MDS, PhD (Biomechanics & Education) Edward O’Neil, MD (Internal Medicine) Donald Picard, DDS, MS (Accounting) Howard Sacks, DMD (Orthodontics) Glenn Sameshima, DDS, PhD (Research & Education) Daniel Sarya, DDS, MPH (Public Health) Keith Sherwood, DDS (Oral Surgery) James Souers, DDS (Orthodontics) Gregg Tartakow, DMD (Orthodontics) & Ortho Tribune Associate Editor Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com Vice President Global Sales Peter Witteczek p.witteczek@dental-tribune.com Chief Operating Officer Eric Seid, e.seid@dental-tribune.com Group Editor & Designer Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com Editor in Chief Ortho Tribune Prof. Dennis Tartakow d.tartakow@dental-tribune.com International Editor Ortho Tribune Dr. Reiner Oemus r.oemus@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Ortho Tribune & Show Dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Implant & Endo Tribunes Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com Online Editor Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com Product & Account Manager Humberto Estrada h.estrada@dental-tribune.com Product & Account Manager Mark Eisen, m.eisen@dental-tribune.com Marketing Manager Anna Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com Marketing & Sales Assistant Lorrie Young, l.young@dental-tribune.com C.E. Manager Julia Wehkamp j.wehkamp@dental-tribune.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 213 West 35th Street, Suite 801 New York, NY 10001 Phone: (212) 244-7181, Fax: (212) 244-7185 ORTHO TRIBUNE The World’s Orthodontic Newspaper · U.S. Edition published by Dental Tribune America © 2010, Dental Tribune International GmbH. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for prod- uct names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune International. OT Editorial Advisory Board correctionsOT The phone number and e-mail for the Axis Orthodontic Adhesive Removal Kit was incorrect in the February Supplement edition. The phone num- ber is (800) 355-5063 and the e-mail is custserv@axisdental.com. Ortho Tribune strives to maintain the utmost accuracy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a fac- tual error or content that requires clarification, please report the details to Managing Editor Kristine Colker at k.colker@dental-tribune.com. Image courtesy of Dr. Earl Broker. By Dennis J. Tartakow, DMD, MEd, PhD, Editor in Chief Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see more articles about? Let us know by e-mailing us at feedback@dental-tribune.com. If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune. com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks to process. AD Why orthodontists should be holistic ‘people are likely to be best treated by doctors who treat them as whole and complete human beings’