They’re important, but few orthodontists take final records once your treatment is complete.
Champions do not sweep mistakes under the rug. They review why, when, how, and what’s next. Cam Newton is great because he reviews video/tape after tape of his previous performances, learning how he can make the next throw a predictable completion.
Medicine is no different.
Beginnings and endings in orthodontics are concrete. They are absolute. A patient’s perfect finish is clearly identifiable. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had a predictable and likely outcome given all variables were always equal?
Sixteen years of finishes, all with final records, have given me an immense library of why, when, how, and what’s next. Reviewing these has given me the confidence to ensure my treatment plan is best for the patient.
Take this patient, for example.
Textbooks and even other local orthodontists said her smile would be impossible to correct without jaw surgery. But, experience told me otherwise. I was fully confident in assuring the patient of a predictable result with no surgery.
During treatment, her dentist, her family and even the patient doubted the success of the treatment. It’s sometimes difficult to maintain faith when waiting on results.
But, I knew the compromises she was exposed to and the shortcomings in her existing dentition. And this knowledge allowed her to finish 100%.
I used to be amazed, but studying the final records has made me 100% confident.
