Publié en ligne: 16 août 2022
Pages: 278 - 280
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-2022-0029
© 2022 Author(s)., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” is a quote misattributed to the eighteenth-century Irish philosopher and statesman Edmund Burke. While the definitive source of this statement is yet to be found, the sentiment frames this editorial.
All too commonly we are presented with the idea that our profession is in crisis. While we can debate the truth of this contention, the perception is unavoidable. One only has to read online forums and posts by orthodontists on social media or listen to conversations at meetings (after Covid!), or to read responses to invited comments in, for example the recent ASO aligner survey conducted by Associate Professor Maurice Meade and myself. Unfortunately, all too commonly our response list includes weeping, wailing, tearing the hair, beating the breast, gnashing the gums, and generally whinging on social media as though venting like this will result in improvement in the situation.
I admit to having little patience with complaints that are not backed up with positive action to address the issues, and so I would like to suggest a number of ways in which you, dear reader and colleague, can help your profession and yourself—ways that cost you little and offer rich rewards.
Consider acting as a reviewer for the Australasian Orthodontic Journal (Register at
Do not get corporate-sponsored Key Opinion Leaders as speakers at scientific meetings for the ASO or similar conferences. These people may be provided free of charge to the organisers and may come with a handy sponsorship to the organisation, but if you truly believe there is not a significant cost for such actions then you are gravely deluded. While KOLs may speak honestly, they are ultimately beholden to their paymasters, and we all know there are ways of telling the truth without telling the whole truth. KOLs who do not toe the corporate line strangely cease to be corporate-sponsored speakers. To sacrifice truth for money merely serves to perpetuate a decline in intellectual standards of our profession.
Encourage local speakers, especially the new, the up-and-coming. Being local they probably cost a great deal less, are likely to be ASO members, and will be people you will run into at meetings for years to come. They are likely to know and share your concerns. We truly have world-class people—not only in our university academics, but also recent graduates and external researchers with award-winning research published in the best peer-reviewed journals—in each of our states. Choose them. Use them. First.
Reply to surveys—yes, we are all busy but how else can those elements of our profession provide research answers to the questions you say you want addressed if you do not participate and help them to help you. I am sure most of us enjoy reading survey results over almost any scientific article—I know I do. Help researchers to help you. For the cost of maybe 15 minutes, you get a damn good read and perhaps some new ideas.
Volunteer your time and services to your nearby university or even one at a distance—the internet makes remote teaching very viable. Universities are perpetually starved of staffing and finances, and indeed it seems increasingly so. They provide us with the future of our profession in the shape of the postgraduate students and with research answers. It takes a company with finance and a whirlwind tour by a KOL or staff member to put out a claim about an appliance or a treatment. It takes time and money to collect data, analyse that data and get it into publication. “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes” is another misattributed quote (this time to Mark Twain), but the sentiment is pertinent at least. Remember—each one of us was given our education in part by private practice orthodontists who put in a lot of time and effort out of the desire to advance the profession. Orthodontics has been good to us. We too should wish to “pay it forwards”.
If you would like to become involved with research, just ask—I am sure that all Orthodontic Departments would be only too happy to include you in a gentle way into what can be a new, exciting, and immensely rewarding world, a world which helps you to grow in knowledge, as well as forging relationships with the researchers—almost all of whom are not intense nerds like me.
Email, write or phone people who do research—at universities or outside them and tell them what you would like to see studied. It may not be possible, or it may take time, but it is at least a step. I, for one, would welcome any input.
In a personal note, many of you will be aware that I set up the Australian Aligner research Database some years ago to obtain data to enable research into clear aligner treatment. I asked orthodontists in Australia, New Zealand and the USA to provide their entire aligner databases (cherrypicking was not allowed!). I have not been knocked back once when I have asked, which speaks volumes for the generosity and forward-thinking of these orthodontists. These people have trusted me to collect the world’s largest database of aligner cases outside of corporate hands (currently in excess of 14,000 cases), allowing approximately 20 research projects to date, in four universities in Australia and New Zealand, with more than a dozen publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, and a number of national and international awards thus far. Many more are in the pipeline. My sincere and profound thanks to all those who have contributed selflessly—they do so on the condition of anonymity so I will not name names, but you know who you are and you should be proud of the help you have given to your educational institutes and to our profession through the research. There is always room for more data however, so if any reader wishes to contribute their data, please contact me.
When the opportunity comes to support orthodontic meetings such as your state or national ASO meetings, but also study groups, do so with your attendance, and if they have opportunity for tabled cases or interactive forums, give it a go! No one will judge you—okay they will judge you—but it is appreciated beyond belief and is much better than sitting quietly.
Engage with the ASO Executive with topics of interest, speakers you may wish them to invite, ideas for forums, initiatives you feel worthwhile.
Mentor new graduates—we all were new graduates once, and for many of us, the kindly help of an experienced orthodontist made a great difference. Experiences like this encourage these new members of our profession to “pay it forward” and that is a lot of goodwill over the professional lifespan of an orthodontist.
Ask your speakers questions, challenge them to provide evidence for what they say to you, use your brain—it is apparently what sets us apart from the other monkeys.
Foster relationships with general dentists in a non-confrontational way. We can fight or we can, by example, encourage a better relationship.
Find a mate, sit down and have lunch and a damn good chat—but don’t just bemoan fate—think of a way forwards. Some of my most prized moments in my career have come from informal discussions with my peers.
If academia is just not your thing, then there are a lot of other committees at both state and federal level, with many areas that would provide both fulfilment and camaraderie with just a little effort. You would be welcomed with open arms and forge new friendships and connections. Ours can be an insular profession. Reach out and enjoy!
John F. Kennedy’s historic words in his inaugural address—“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,” challenged every American to contribute in some way to the public good. The ASO is your society. The fact that you are reading this editorial means you are likely to be a member of the organisation, and this profession. Orthodontics is our profession, our specialty. If these things are to remain that way, and we are to not just survive but to thrive and advance our own careers and that of our profession, consider taking some of the above steps.