Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning

Correct diagnosis is a crucial part of all patient’s treatment. As a result of orthodontic records collection and analysis, the orthodontist classifies the patient’s malocclusion. That classification helps determines the treatment that will follow based on knowledge that should be derived from evidence. Although clinical experience may be a guide to clinical decision making, clinicians’ experiences are not enough for the clinician to be able to understand all the mechanisms that lead to a malocclusion and the correction of that malocclusion. Actually, these experiences have been shown in many cases to be misleading.  At Riolo Orthodontics we employ the latest technology to clarify the clinical problems then apply sound evidence based solutions to obtain the best possible treatment outcome for our patients.  We have the latest digital scanning technology as well and extremely low dose 3D imaging capabilities to allow precision diagnosis and  efficient treatment using custom orthodontic solutions (both on the front of the teeth as well as Incognito lingual brackets behind the teeth).

Clinical predictions from prior experiences and/or knowledge of the biology of malocclusion are hypotheses to be tested by research. It is very hard to predict the course of treatment in an individual patient, because there are genetic, physical, and psychosocial factors that affect the outcomes of a treatment. In orthodontics, for instance, the skeletal and dental manifestations of the patient’s growth pattern, patient cooperation, and clinician’s skill are some of the factors that influence a particular patients treatment outcome. In addition to these factors, the biases of the clinician may lead to systematic errors that would distort the clinical observations resulting in erroneous conclusions. Also, there is usually not a one to one relationship between an effect and its cause.  Dr Riolo has a PhD in Epidemiology as well as a masters degree and certificate in orthodontics.  He understands how to apply evidence based orthodontic solutions to get the best possible results for his patients using custom digital orthodontic solutions such as Incognito lingual braces or Invisalign.

With his degrees in both Epidemiology and clinical orthodontics Dr Riolo has the tools and information to make accurate treatment decisions for our patients employing the best clinical evidence. The integration of information between a clinicians experience and scientific facts established through sound epidemiologic methodology is the bases for “evidence based dentistry”.  Dr Riolo integrates both evidence based clinical epidemiology and cutting edge orthodontic care to obtain the best possible treatment outcome for our patients.  If you have questions regarding your orthodontic treatment options or would like to schedule an appointment please contact us and take the first step toward the smile you have always wanted.