Healing cannot be written upon a prescription pad - it is a team approach. The upcoming “ALF InterFACE 2017” conference is a unique opportunity to both learning powerful techniques, while at the same time experiencing a "symphony of pulling together, beyond our individual capacity" (Dr. Darick Nordstrom).

Healing is a journey that we are taking together
If you hear ALF and are just thinking of another soldered wire appliance you are missing out. Nowadays ALF stands...

It makes for a smooth start to gather ALF experience while treating children. But what to do if you don't see young patients in your practice? Keep some guidelines in mind, as to not jeopardize your patients' health and your own sleep at night.

Dr. Nordstrom’s recent online presentation highlighted some changes in the basic ALF design from the way we learned it years ago: NO crescents when the focus is on arch development, upper canine crescents for patients with trauma and pain symptoms.

 Online Study Club Creates New Possibilities

Many dentists are intrigued by reports of seemingly miraculous effects of ALF treatment. Yet, using ALF for their patients leaves them frustrated and giving up soon. These are the main stumbling stones:

• first and foremost: a lack of skills in treatment planning, designing and adjusting the ALF
• lack of applying ALF philosophy
• failure to incorporate myofunctional therapy and osteopathic treatment
• unrealistic promises to patients
• absence of a support group

With a mechanical approach, the dentist assumes to know what is best for the patient. The primary focus is on cosmetics; little thought goes towards how the applied forces affect the rest of the body. There is a preconceived notion of what the final result should be.

Please feel free to use and share this instructional video:

Since my practice is dedicated to ALF orthodontics, my patients get their regular dental care with their family dentist. One of the advantages of the ALF is that it can easily be removed when needed. The best person to take the ALF out is the patient if s/he can do it carefully without distorting the appliance.

Sometimes the cribs fit very tightly, or resin ledges are in place, both of which can make removal more difficult,...

When designing your ALF appliances, be specific about the loops. Depending on what you want to achieve, give detailed instructions about the shape, length, and orientation.

The ALF (Alternative Lightwire Functional) has a deceptively simple design. But to fabricate a good appliance takes paying attention to many small details. Let’s talk about the loops in the body wire.

The purpose of loops is to
– enable arch development, transverse or sagittal
– create...