The Orthodontic Roadmap: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Orthodontic Malocclusions

Every orthodontist requires a guideline in order to establish a correct diagnosis, and thereby allowing for the development of the most effective and efficient treatment. Due to the rapid development of dental and orthodontic technology over the last few decades, there are a multitude of new and old techniques that could be used for the various malocclusions. For this reason, proper diagnosis is essential in order to make the correct treatment choices, not only in terms of appliances, but even more so for the ideal timing of treatment. Treating patients using the correct appliance at the correct time will lead to effective and efficient treatment and will aid in the next important phase- retention. Depending on the specific case, the malocclusion, and the age of the patient, we may decide to stage the treatment in phases, thus taking advantage of the vital factor of growth which can influence the treatment outcome. For the above reasons, using our humble 40 years of experience, we will attempt to classify the treatment according to age and malocclusion and discuss the best ways to deal with each as far as the treatment modalities are concerned.