I hope 2002 has brought some stability to your lives and all is going well. I am looking forward to another successful year for our society. I want to thank Dr. Connie Greeley for last year’s successful program, which featured Dr. David Sarver. Facial esthetics is a hot topic and influences the treatment decisions we make in our practices every day.

Please mark your calendars now with our adhesive label for the fall meeting: Wednesday, November 6th, at the Union League. This year we are looking forward to hosting Dr. James Vaden and Dr. Lloyd Pearson. Each of these men have published their material and presented nationally and internationally. I am sure you will find their presentation well documented and informative. The topic I asked them to present is “Vertical Control, The Long and Short of it.” We will continue to hold our annual meeting at the Union League; the members’ response was overwhelmingly positive.

Dr. Mike Perillo will be the new web site coordinator and answer any e-mail inquiries. I would suggest that you look at the site for any new information and, if you have any suggestions, contact Mike. Our web site is www.gpso.org.

The GPSO board is interested in its members and their interests. Since we wish to provide you with quality continuing education programs, it is important that you contact any board member with your ideas for future meetings. I look forward to our November meeting and the opportunity for all of us to interact with friends, olleagues, and the residents from the area programs.

Regards,

Joe Damone

Over the years we’ve been known as The First State, The Small Wonder and The Home of Tax Free Shopping. Now, our new state by-line: It’s Good to be First is likely the result of some over paid PR firm. As orthodontists we work hard to be on the cutting edge of technology while maintaining the best interests of our patients. So, although we are not always the first to try things we have been working with new technologies including electronic models, Invisalign and other advancements. We welcome discussions from our colleagues in adjoining states.

As past President of GPSO, last November I was happy to host our annual meeting. We welcomed Dr. David Sarver who gave a most interesting presentation on some new concepts of Condylar Disease as well as his view of Appearance Driven Diagnosis and Treatment. I thank all of you who attended the meeting making it one of our most successful.

We welcome Dr. Ali Husain to our GPSO board and look forward to his energy and contributions. If you don’t know Ali, please make an effort to meet him at our next meeting. As Board members, we are always interested in your input so that the Society can serve you better.

Here’s wishing all of you a happy and fun filled summer. Make everyday special for yourself, your family and your staff.

Warmly,

Connie Greeley

Since the last GPSO Newsletter was out, much has happened in the department. We have our accreditation scheduled for the year 2004, and we look forward to it. Recently, Dr. Azizi was appointed as the Director of undergraduate curriculum. Under his leadership, our teaching is streamlined and the students are able to complete their clinical requirements more efficiently. A large number of undergraduate students are involved in research working with our residents. This year, our research projects are exceptionally exciting and innovative. They all address clinical issues: root resorption, treatment outcomes, stability, expectations from treatment, and the like.

Class of 2002 and their future practice locations:
Dr. Chris Smedley (Downingtown, PA), Dr. Van Nguyen (Los Angeles, CA), Dr. Ross Segal (Philadelphia region), Dr. Justin Hong (Los Angeles, CA), Dr. Michelle Brown (New England region), Dr. Richard Hennebry (London, UK). The graduation will be held on September 27th.

Temple faculty is at the helm of AAO and MASO. Dr. Viechnicki is the Chairman of the Council on Information Technology, Dr. Tuncay is the Chairman of the Council on Scientific Affairs, Dr. Wiser serves on the Council on Orthodontic Health Care, Dr. Albright is the former Chairman of Council on Communications, and he is currently the Chairman of the MASO Board, and of course, Dr. Bray is the MASO trustee. Of course, Drs. Bray, Albright, Thiry and Viechnicki have organized the 2002 AAO meeting in Philadelphia.

In the past year (2001-2002), faculty of the Department of Orthodontics have published 9 papers in refereed journals and 2 are in press. Publications by the part-time faculty (e.g., Dr. Nah, Dr. Burkland) are additional to this number. This many publications is exceptionally high for a department of our size. Additionally, the editorial office of three different publications are housed in the department. These are: Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research (formerly, Clinical
Orthodontics and Research), Progress in Orthodontics (this is a journal owned by the Italian orthodontic society - SIDO), and Cases and Commentaries in Orthodontic Technology (sponsored by Invisalign). In addition to our publications, members of the faculty have been highly busy on the lecture circuit. Dr. Azizi has given several CE courses, so have Drs. Bray and Tuncay.

Dr. Chris Smedley - “Parental Perceptions of Their Child’s Craniofacial Characteristics.” This study is aimed to determine the degree of bias parents might have when looking at their own child’s face. Parents are interviewed and given a questionnaire that examined different aspects of their child’s face. They were also asked to draw-in any changes that they feel would make their child’s face more esthetic. These results were then compared to cephalometric hard and soft tissue measurements. Literature is replete with reports of patient desires, but not much is available on parental desires and preferences. This study is a first in the field.

Dr. Richard Hennebry – “Is the Outcome of Treatment the Determinant of Post-Treatment Stability?” The major objective of this study is to ascertain whether there is a relationship between accepted standards of excellence in finished orthodontic cases and stability. Patients who had completed orthodontic treatment between 1996 and 1998 were recalled to the clinic for records. All patients had undergone fixed appliance therapy. Their post-debond records are compared to post-retention records using the ABO grading criteria. The aim is to see if there is a correlation between the cases that finished better with the amount of relapse.

Dr. Michelle Brown – “The Effects of Inappropriate Orthodontic Treatment” For various reasons, the most ideal treatment cannot always be implemented. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to evaluate the consequences. Patients who would have benefited from an alternative course of treatment were identified by their orthodontists and then recalled for a retention check and clinical exam. The effects of non-ideal treatment on periodontal tissues, treatment outcome and facial esthetics are examined. Questionnaires are also utilized to examine the satisfaction of the patients and the orthodontists. This is a first study of its nature: consequences of misjudgment.

Dr. Justin Hong – “ The Association between Bone Density and Root Resorption.” This study explores the relationship between various characteristics of alveolar bone and the extent of root resorption. A group of patients who have shown radiographic evidence of root resorption after orthodontic treatment are selected for the study. Cephalometric radiographs of these patients are scanned into the computer for image enhancement and analysis. The amount of trabecular bone adjacent to the root, the thickness of cortical bone and the density of bone are measured to ascertain their effect on root resorption.

Dr. Ross Segal – “A Meta Analysis on External Root Resorption.” External root resorption is a common pathological condition that concerns all fields of dentistry. This topic has been discussed in the literature for almost 150 years, and yet, its etiology remains obscure. Clinical significance of establishing a cause is far reaching, especially when considering the number of lawsuits brought forth by discontent patients. Every publication seems to conclude a different possible cause for external root resorption. These conflicting data necessitate further investigation. A meta-analysis would be an appropriate method to sort out the literature and integrate different findings. We expect to identify the most significant risk factors for root resorption.

Dr. Van Nguyen – “Vertical Growth effects on Anteroposterior Correction.” This investigation focuses on how the vertical skeletal growth might affect the Class II correction. Such information is not available in the literature. Class II growing patients are evaluated retrospectively. Cephalometric and cast measurement data are analyzed. It is expected that the result of this investigation will help the clinician to better predict the success of treatment outcome.

Orhan Tuncay
Chairman and Program Director

Albert Einstein Medical Center’s (AEMC) Orthodontic Residency Program continues to be proud of the accomplishments of the Program’s residents. All members of the graduating class of 2002 had their Research Abstract Papers accepted for presentation at the AAO Annual Session meeting in Philadelphia. Dr. Phu Le’s project and presentation was “ Decalcification and Bond Failure: A Comparison of a Cyanoacrylate Bonding System and a Composite Bonding System In Vivo”. Dr. Sherri Salvatore presented “ Decalcification and Bond Failure: A Comparison of a Glass Ionomer and a Resin Bonding System In Vivo”. The third presenter was Dr. Craig Scott whose topic was “Bonding without Pumicing: A Comparison of Bond Failure Utilizing Two Different Bonding Agents”.

We recently received the Formal Report of the Commission on Dental Accreditation regarding the site visit evaluation of our residency program that occurred on June 6 & 7, 2001. I am pleased to report that the Commission met on February 1, 2002 to review the site visit report and based on their review, adopted a resolution granting the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. The repor t had no recommendat ions regarding the program and that we are in full compliance with the Commissions’ Standards. In fact, we received two commendations. The first was for “ efficient and effective administration of the program”. The second commendation was for a "strong and diverse faculty”, the vast majority who are part-time. Much time was devoted to interviewing the faculty, the orthodontic residents, Dr. Steven Cohen (Associate Program Director), and the Chairman and Program Director. The next site visit will be in 2008.

On June 6th, we celebrated the re-dedication of the Department’s annual memorial conference and resident graduation dinner. In 1997, the Department of Dental Medicine’s resident graduation event was dedicated in memory of Maxwell S. Fogel’s first wife Anna. After Dr. Fogel, Chairman Emeritus, passed away in 2001, an endowment campaign was initiated. Through the leadership gift of Maxwell Fogel’s widow, Mila and support from his colleagues, students and friends, we are pleased to announce that this annual event is now supported through an endowment. Therefore, beginning this year, the event was dedicated as: the Maxwell S. And Anna K. Fogel Memorial Conference Dinner and Resident Graduation. The evening graduation and dinner was truly a festive occasion with the residents being the focus of attention.

Alan J. Borislow, DDS
Chairman and Program Director

On May 22, 2002 the second year postgraduates and masters candidates presented their required research to the faculty. The residents and projects are as follows:

• May 30, 2002 the graduate residents received their certificates in Orthodontics for completion of all requirements. At the graduation ceremony two awards of distinction were given to the most outstanding research projects. These awards went to Dr. Dawn M. Wagner and Dr. Laurence Articolo.

• June 15, 2002 Dr. Laurence Articolo presented his project to the Pennsylvania Association of Orthodontists Annual Meeting. Congratulations Lance!

• Arrangements for Clinic Day and Alumni Day are as follows:

Clinic Day – September 12, 2002
Room S-1, School of Dental Medicine
Speaker: Dr. Vicki Vlaskalic

Alumni Day – September 13, 2002
University Sheraton Hotel
Speaker: Dr. Thomas S. Mulligan

For further information regarding Clinic or Alumni Days,
please contact either Aida Rivera (215) 898-5398 or
Barbara Del Regino (215) 898-5910

It is amazing how quickly time goes by. I find it hard to believe that a year has already past. It was an honor and a pleasure serving as President of the New Jersey Association of Orthodontists and I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet and interact with more of my fellow colleagues.

I would like to thank those members who participated in the Executive Board and also the overwhelming number of participants that helped with our “Vision and Target Planning”. As a result of the Vision and Target Planning, we achieved 8 goals, which allowed us to set up Ad Hoc committees to address the top 3, which consist of:

1. Technology- enabling us to enhance our website and increasing communications between our members as well as educating the public.

2. Practice transitions- the establishment of communications within the state for members who wished to sell their practice, as well as for those interested in purchasing practices.

3. Staffing- Orthodontic Assistant- as we are all aware of the difficulties in acquiring Certified Dental Assistants, a committee was established to develop a program to increase awareness in order to increase the number of Certified Dental Assistants.

In addition to continue with our public awareness program along with four future projects: Non-dues income, Faculty, Insurance and Legislative. We participated in an ad campaign in October, January and February, which had an overwhelming response. We had over 1500 hits to the web site and our 800 number. This greatly exceeds any other past promotion and awareness program we’ve ever participated in, with a significantly less budget. In closing, I would like to wish Alex Collillo much success in his term as President of the New Jersey Association of Orthodontists, and I look forward to working with him during the transition. I also look forward to the future of our association and I am confident with the guidance of our leaders, we will continue to set the standards for other states.

Paul Batastini