Why Experienced Orthodontists Keep Going Back to Basics

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00:00:15: Many colleagues believe that focusing on the fundamentals is beneath them thinking it's only for students or beginners.

00:00:23: Yet this specific mindset is exactly what prevents from ever achieving true mastery in their practice.

00:00:30: I am Dr Martin Baxman and i'm here to explain why.

00:00:33: mastering the fundamentals is the only real shortcut to expert status.

00:00:41: In one of my year-long courses, I had a participant who came up to me during the lunch break on the very first day.

00:00:48: he told me that he was leaving because we were only covering the basics And he felt this wasn't for him.

00:00:54: At the same time...I have other colleagues who are incredibly successful Yet they attend the same course five times in a row, year after year.

00:01:05: This creates very interesting contrast.

00:01:07: You have to ask yourself what sets these two groups apart?

00:01:11: The truth is that most successful orthodontists understand that basics does not mean simple It means foundational!

00:01:20: The problem many dentists and orthodonists face Is that they skip this foundation.

00:01:26: They jump from one trendy technique to next trying to compensate for a lack of fundamental understanding.

00:01:32: They try to imitate what experts do without understanding the why or how behind the mechanics.

00:01:39: Let me give you an non-dental example that everyone understands.

00:01:43: Think about losing weight.

00:01:45: There are millions of methods, but the principle is always the same.

00:01:50: We all know people who struggle with this.

00:01:52: they start a plan and when you ask them How it's going?

00:01:58: But then you find out they ate two pieces of cake because it was a colleague's birthday.

00:02:03: The next week, They went to the movies and had tacos with cheese sauce!

00:02:07: They justify by saying that It is just one time.

00:02:10: Then look for shortcut.

00:02:12: They read about special spice that is supposed burn fat And want try instead fixing their diet.

00:02:19: A good coach would tell them forget the spice and simply stop eating too much.

00:02:24: Orthodontics is exactly the same.

00:02:26: I see this in my mentoring program constantly.

00:02:29: A student will send me a case where they are struggling with rotation on lower canine, i look at it and see that there already in a nineteen by twenty five stainless steel arch wire They ask if should use a rotation wedge ,a double power chain or bend loop.

00:02:47: This is orthodontic equivalent of looking for magic spice If you are trying to correct a rotation with thick steel wire, You have already failed the basics.

00:02:57: Steel wires aren't designed for rotation.

00:03:00: They're for stability!

00:03:02: You should've corrected that rotation months ago during the leveling phase using super elastic wire.

00:03:08: We have materials developed by space research like Thermal-NITI specifically designed to solve these problems effortlessly.

00:03:17: Yet people skip that step and try to force a tooth to move with the stiff wire, And an old rubber band.

00:03:24: That is opposite of efficiency.

00:03:26: Another common issue Is The Deep Bite.

00:03:29: If you do not correct the deep bite during initial levelling phase You will struggle at finish line.

00:03:40: If you wait until your finishing the case to fix a class two relationship or deep bite, You are working against yourself.

00:03:47: When you master the levelling phase The finishing phase becomes incredibly easy.

00:03:53: It allows simply set the occlusion and refine aesthetics But if rush start ,you will spend months chasing tail at end.

00:04:02: We also see this lack of foundational knowledge in biomechanics & biology.

00:04:07: People ask if they should use a face mask or headgear for class three patient.

00:04:13: But, They do not understand how the jaw grows.

00:04:16: you need to know when the maxilla grows in which direction and When it stops If You Do Not Understand The Difference Between The High Line Cartilage On The Condyle And The Fibrocartilage Cap?

00:04:29: You Cannot Make An Informed Decision About Functional Appliances!

00:04:35: The same applies to bracket prescriptions.

00:04:38: I hear people say they will flip a bracket, To get better result But when i ask them what the torque values are in standard position versus flipped positions They do not know.

00:04:50: If you don't know what the bracket does In its normal state You certainly should NOT be flipping it.

00:04:56: Lean orthodontics is about continuous improvement but you cannot improve What you DO NOT understand.

00:05:03: you need to be able to bend a transpalital arch in twenty seconds, In your sleep.

00:05:08: You need to understand the center of resistance so well that you know exactly what an intrusion arch will do to a proclined incisor versus and upright one.

00:05:19: If you use an intrusion arch on a tooth That is already retroclined... ...you'll just make this problem worse because you're at wrong side of the centre of resistance.

00:05:29: These are the basics.

00:05:31: There is nothing wrong with using advanced techniques like zygomatic implants or complex aligner setups.

00:05:39: I love advanced mechanics, but you must earn the right to use them by mastering the simple things first!

00:05:46: When you truly own the basics... ...the complex cases become simple puzzles that can solve confidence.

00:05:53: Do not look for magic spice.

00:05:55: Look at your foundation.

00:05:57: Thanks for listening and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next episode.