Strip and Screw: The Essentials of Interproximal Reduction and TADS

By Dr. Marybeth Gabriel

During the 108th Annual PDA convention held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, the Association of Philippine Orthodontists (APO) invited everyone to a pre-Congress seminar entitled 'Strip and Screw: The Essentials of Interproximal Reduction and TADS'. This was given by the esteemed Dr. Changok Oh, one of the best Orthodontic minds in Korea who holds numerous accolades and positions in his home country.

Held in Function Room 1 last May 1, 2017, the well attended seminar, (over 400 attendees) included a lecture by Dr. Oh regarding the relevance of interproximal reduction, and a short history of TADs and where it has brought us today in the development of our treatment plans for our patients. He cited numerous cases wherein we can use mini screws to ease in the treatment of even the most difficult of cases, from Class 2 or Class 3 cases, to open bite or deep bite cases to name a few. This is now becoming an integral part of our armamentarium in helping our patients achieve the smile that they have been longing for.

Dr. Oh also explained the basic treatment mechanics and different considerations for TADs placement, the length of the mini screw for individualized problems, and even the possible failures that can happen. He assured us that mistakes do happen, and that we should just be open to what these cases can be, and move forward in making the TADs work in our favor.

The second part of the seminar was the workshop wherein the delegates were divided into smaller groups with facilitators assigned per table. The first 200 delegates were given a free stripper with handle and a set of typodont to practice with, c/o Hubit. During the workshop, the facilitators demonstrated to the delegates how to put in a mini screw on a bone block with a sample driver, and they were able to do this on their own as the bone blocks were passed from each delegate to the next. This enabled each delegate to get a feel of putting a TADs on bone, and an idea of how to incorporate it in their Orthodontic practice.

With Function Room 1 filled to the brim, with a lot of pre registered delegates and even a large number of onsite registrants, the Strip and Screw seminar was definitely a resounding success!