Orthodontics
Rolf G. Behrents, DDS, MS, PhD
Executive Director / Orthodontic Program Director

The Center for Advanced Dental Education at Saint Louis University offers a Graduate Orthodontic Training Program that is thirty months in length. The program offers three basic areas of training: an extensive and comprehensive clinical experience that involves diagnosis, treatment planning, active treatment, and retention of patients representing a variety of malocclusions and craniofacial deformities; a didactic core and specialty education that encompasses biomedical sciences as well as clinical concepts; and research related to the discipline. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Following completion of the program, graduates are educationally qualified for certification by the American Board of Orthodontics

Master of Science in Dentistry (Research)

Prerequisite
D.D.S., D.M.D., or equivalent general dental degree.

Required Courses
All core courses described under the section entitled Center for Advanced Dental Education are required except for CAD.503, CAD.510, and CAD.522. In addition, specialty courses required include all courses described below.

Additional Requirements
Supervised active and retention clinical orthodontic treatment of patients; comprehensive orthodontic specialty examinations utilizing written, oral, and practical clinical formats.

Total required credit hours: 80

No formal minor is permitted.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ORTH.503 Facial Development (2)
An overview of current thought in the field of craniofacial biology. The graduate student is exposed to the changes that take place in the face from embryo to adult. Hypothetical control mechanisms, clinical application of facial growth principles, and the experimental evidence are explored in a critical review of relevant literature. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.510 Biomechanics (2)
Concepts of orthodontic displacement and force. Kinematics and biomechanics of tooth movement. Deformable-body mechanics, materials science, mechanical analyses, and selection of orthodontic-appliance components. Instantaneous and dynamic analyses of example appliances and clinical mechanics. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.525 Clinical Cephalometrics (2)
Introduction to the use of cephalometric radiographs in clinical orthodontics. Overview of cephalometric analyses of historic importance. Lectures and demonstrations with a laboratory component that includes cephalometric tracing technique, visualization of treatment objectives for orthodontic and surgical orthodontic cases, analysis of growth pattern, and treatment results. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.531 Oral Biology (1)
Attention is focused on the relationship between the observed clinical events in tooth movement and the nature of the associated physiological events. Emphasis is placed on those responses that may occur on the tissue, cell and macromolecular levels of organization. In particular, the physiology of mineralized connective tissue and the process of tooth eruption are used as models to explore the biology of orthodontic tooth movement. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.535 Surgical Orthodontics (1)
Acquaints the graduate student with those surgical procedures that directly relate to orthodontic treatment plans. The lecture series encompasses a review of diagnostic procedures, surgical techniques for the treatment of maxillary and/or mandibular skeletal excess and deficiency as well as laterognathism, Class II malocclusion and adjunctive techniques of genioplasty for correction of microgenia and macrogenia. In addition to surgical consideration of jaw deformities, time is allocated for miscellaneous pathological conditions. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.537 Orthodontic Problems Related to Cleft-Palate Patient (1)
A study of the various aspects of the congenital cleft-lip-and-palate condition with a consideration of the several professional areas concerned with the total habilitation of the cleft-lip-and-palate patient. Coursework includes diagnosis and treatment of patients at the Cardinal Glennon Hospital Cleft Palate Center. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.539 Speech Problems Related to the Oral Mechanism (1)
Basic anatomy and physiology of the speech mechanism. Introduction to phonetics and speech sound production. Survey of communication disorders; significance of the disorder for the orthodontist, and orthodontic treatment plan. (Offered every Fall semester.)

ORTH.540 History of Orthodontics (1)
Evaluating concepts in pre-specialization disciplinary organization, ethical considerations, and humanist aspects of the profession. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.550 Diagnosis and Treatment Planning I (1)
Evaluation and treatment planning of various types of malocclusion. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.553 Clinical Diagnosis I (1)
The clinical application of the various diagnostic procedures and philosophies of orthodontic diagnosis and a presentation of practical procedures to help in the management of unusual problems that can arise during the course of treatment. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.554 Clinical Diagnosis II (1)
Continuation of Clinical Diagnosis I. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.555 Orthodontic Analysis and Treatment Modalities (1)
An in-depth presentation of specific and complex problems that can and do arise in orthodontic practice. Recognition, precautions, and various treatment modalities for each problem are discussed. Advances in orthodontic technology will be presented utilizing diagrams, photographs, clinical aids, and actual demonstrations to further enhance knowledge in dealing with difficult situations. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.556 Clinical Case Conference (0-1)
In seminar format, each class meeting features the presentation by one of the students of the work-up and diagnosis of an active orthodontic patient. The other students and faculty propose and critically evaluate possible treatment plans and modalities. the presenting student then reviews the actual treatment plan being followed and the progress in therapy to date. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.558 Clinical Specialty Seminars (1)
Individual clinical faculty members present their personal philosophies of diagnosis, treatment planning, active therapy, and retention. These sessions serve also to introduce the students to a diversity of techniques and appliances and therapy for unusual and exceptional categories of patients and cases perhaps not routinely seen in the mainstream of orthodontic care. (Offered every year)

ORTH.560 Introduction to Clinical Orthodontics (2)
A didactic and laboratory introduction to basic clinical principles and techniques. Initially, instruction covers the policies and procedures of the orthodontic clinic and later, the development of a patient diagnostic data base including study casts, photographs, cephalograms, and clinical evaluation of the patient. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.561 INtroduction to Clinical Orthodontics II (1)
A continuation of ORTH.560. A concentrated, didactic course that addresses in some depth the procedures of diagnosis, treatment planning, and application of clinical therapy toward the solutions of orthodontic problems in patients of various and dental development. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.562 Principles of Orthodontic Techniques (2)
Course includes typodont setup in normal occlusion before banding; philosophy of treatment; and a coordination of lectures and seminars with laboratory demonstration on archwire fabrication and reasons for each bend. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.563 Principles of Orthodontic Techniques II (2)
Course includes treatment of Class II, Division 1 non-extraction case and treatment of Class I bimaxillary-protrusion case, requiring removal of permanent teeth. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.564 Tip-Edge Brackets and the Differential Straight-Arch Technique (1)
The differential straight-arch technique is a fixed-appliance method of orthodontics utilizing pre-angled brackets that let the teeth move yet provide accurate three-dimensional final control. The light, continuous forces are physiologically compatible. Course includes complete instruction in theory, fabrication and manipulation of the appliance through lectures, laboratory exercises, and the treatment of patients. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.570 Clinical Procedures (1)
Introduction of the first year students to the policies, personnel, and protocol of the orthodontic clinic and the ancillary facilities that complement the clinic. (Offered every year)

ORTH.571 Clinical Orthodontics I (2)
Supervised patient treatment in the Orthodontic Clinic. (Offered the first Fall semester and every academic term thereafter.)

ORTH.572 Clinical Orthodontics II (3)
ORTH.573 Clinical Orthodontics III (1)
ORTH.574 Clinical Orthodontics IV (3)
ORTH.575 Clinical Orthodontics V (3)
ORTH.576 Clinical Orthodontics VI (1)
ORTH.577 Clinical Orthodontics VII (3)
ORTH.578 Clinical Orthodontics VIII (3)

ORTH.580 Seminar: Child and Adolescent Psychology (1)
The personal-social development of the child and adolescent from the perspective of life-span psychology is presented and discussed in the context of orthodontics, which includes the psycho-social impact of malocclusion, patient-parent-doctor motivations, communication and interpersonal relationships, patient cooperation and behavior modifications, and the psychology of the orthodontist. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.589 Review for the ABO Examination (0)
The second year students attend a series if seminars with various members of the faculty toward preparation for the phase two, written examination administered periodically by the American Board of Orthodontics. Passing the examination is a required step toward board certification. (Offered every year.)

ORTH.591 Literature Review (1)
A consideration of recent developments and current literature in the orthodontic field and in related fields.

ORTH.595 Special Study for Examinations (0)

ORTH.597 Research Topics (1-2)
Prior permission of guiding professor and program director required.

ORTH.599 Thesis Research (0-6)