4th General Meeting

March 28, 2007

At the Palm Grove of Rockwell Club last March 28, the Association of Philippine Orthodontists held its 4th General Meeting and presented the topic “Diagnosis and Treatment Planning of Mini-Implant Orthodontics” with Dr. Kuniaki Miyajima as the speaker. Dr. Miyajima conducts mini-implants hands-on courses in Japan. He is a visiting instructor in different universities in Korea, Indonesia and China. He is also a clinical instructor in St. Louis University of Missouri.

Dr. Miyajima discussed the wide range of applicatino of the Skeletal Anchorage System (SAS) in open bite, crowded teeth, mandibular asymmetry, skeletal Class III, impacted tooth and severe overbite and overjet cases. With SAS, he further discussed that a conventional orthognathic case can possibly be treated as an orthodontic case while an extraction case can be treated without extraction. This system is also especially beneficial to adult orthodontic patients with difficulty in moving teeth and are mindful of their appearance when extraoral device are used. Other indications include as an alternative mechanics for pedo-ortho patients where compliance is questionable and when shorter treatment time is required. Various clinical studies have proven that SAS can be used in orthodontics as a stable absolute anchorage.

In the seminar, Dr. Miyajima also compared the SAS with the Temporary Anchorage Device (TAD) such as the mini screws. These mini screws can be installed without pain, without swelling and immediate loading of force is possible. They are particularly indicated in cases that cannot get anchorage such as periodontially compromised teeth, malposed or missing anchored teeth, extraoral anchorage for uncooperative patients. However the speaker noted that with all the advantages of TAD, this system is nota replacement to other proven anchorage but is only to expand orthodontic services.

APO President, Dr. Kathy Ong, welcomed this well attended affair while Dr. Robert Eustaquio led the invocation and Dr. Francina Isagon was the Master of Ceremonies. The meeting was hosted by San Juan I Cell Group. On display for the first time was the blue backgrounded APO tarpaulin that said, “before your orthodontic checkup…checkout www.apo.com.ph” Intended to encourage members and public to visit the site. We hope to display the tarpaulin at PDA and public places. (Click on the images below to enlarge them.)

{slimbox album=|4th General Meeting|}images/generalmeetings/4th_28mar07/gen4_mar28_01.jpg{/slimbox}{slimbox album=|4th General Meeting|}images/generalmeetings/4th_28mar07/gen4_mar28_02.jpg{/slimbox}{slimbox album=|4th General Meeting|}images/generalmeetings/4th_28mar07/gen4_mar28_03.jpg{/slimbox}{slimbox album=|4th General Meeting|}images/generalmeetings/4th_28mar07/gen4_mar28_04.jpg{/slimbox}