Earlier this year I had the opportunity to travel to the Middle East and participate in some orthodontic meetings.

Although politically there may be some problems in this area, for me personally it was an incredible experience. I have never been treated more friendly and felt more at home.  Thank you to all my friends (old and new) who participated in my program.

Beirut, Lebanon is a magnificent city. We visited the Jeita Grotto, crystallized caves,  which needs to be on everyone’s “bucket list.”

Being hosted by Dr. Joe Ghafari from the American University was a great experience. I am hoping that this could be the beginning of a special friendship. Also, my welcome from Prof. Dr. Fayez Saleh to Beirut Arab University, was warm and memorable.

Later I was treated to warm hospitality in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Being born in the south plains of West Texas, the landscape in this area (flat) reminded me of home. J I was speaking at the 6^th Annual Meeting of the Saudi Orthodontic Society. I fulfilled the old adage that says, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” For me, it was do as Saudi Arabians do (see photograph). The highlight of the meeting for me was when I was introduced as “Wick of Arabia.”

Special thanks goes to American Orthodontics manager Heshom Oon for making me feel safe and escorting me throughout the trip.

*****

The early Spring schedule also included my lecture series at NYU and Baylor College of Dentistry… Both programs have embraced the Alexander Discipline and the residents are seeing positive results in the progress of each of their Alexander patients.  It is my privilege to observe the dedication of these students and to teach them how to practice the 20 Principles of the Alexander Discipline.

In preparation for the Summer of 2012… I will continue to lecture at NYU and Baylor ….and travel to Mexico to Monterrey and Guadalajara with lectures scheduled in both cities. Then, I will be joining my son Moody on the dental mission to Ethiopia in June.  I will be sharing our Ethiopia experience in the next chat room report, which will also include notes from lectures in Bulgaria, Germany, and Italy.

Wishing each of you a beautiful Spring… we are enjoying an abundant supply of bluebonnets (State flower of Texas).

Wick and Janna Alexander

And one more thought…. GO RANGERS!!!!  Our local Texas Rangers baseball team has started the season strong…and we are hoping for another trip to the World Series in 2012!!!!

I’ll be somewhere down in Texas!!

But some people are saying that there’s not a way an individual can make any difference.

Let me share with you how one individual can make a difference. This is a story about my son, Moody (who has taken over my practice) and his family’s journey into Ethiopia.

This is the team. Moody and Emily are the captains, Hill, Wick, Avery, Isabelle, Eyasu and Abe are the starting line up!!

Not too many years ago we were cruising along without much thought given to the orphan, the poor or Africa. We began to pray that the Lord would begin to open and break our hearts for the very things that break His and man did He answer that one.

We began to prayerfully consider pursuing an Ethiopian adoption. We started the process in May 2007 to adopt a sibling group between the ages of 1-5. We waited longer than we planned (as is often the case in International Adoption) and then saw 2 amazing kiddos on another agency waitlist. We prayed and talked as a family and felt led to bring them into our family! We were devastated several months later to lose that referral. Shortly after, we received another referral, this time for one beautiful baby boy. He was wearing a Texas Tech onesie.

That trip changed our family, for the better. No longer could we pretend to not know of the poor, the broken, the hurting, the orphan, the widow, the very least of these. No longer could we sit idly by and go about business as usual. We felt a connection to Ethiopia and the beautiful people that live there and knew we would return as often as possible.

Baby girl , GiGi Alexander, will prayerfully come home from Ethiopia by Christmas of this year. We cannot wait to have her home!

For the rest of the story….go to:

Recently, study clubs in Brazil, Bulgaria, Japan and America have had successful meetings. You can enjoy some great pictures on the Study Club links for these groups.

We look forward to all study clubs sending photos and reports from the 2012 meetings.

LATEST BOOK BY DR. A

The end of the year also brought good news for my most recent book “Long term Stability” Alexander Disicipline… the book has received two very nice reviews published in the November issue of the JCO and the December issue of the AJO-DO.

Here are the reviews:

With so few scientific or clinical articles, textbooks, or seminars devoted to long-term retention and stability of treated orthodontic cases, the orthodontic specialty should welcome a book devoted entirely to the subject. Here, Dr. Alexander shares more than 45 years of experience, crit¬ical introspection, and assessment of individual patients, cohorts, and orthodontic records, having followed them many years after orthodontic treatment was ren¬dered. His meticulous record keeping has also served as the basis of numerous investigations by orthodontic colleagues that have confirmed the efficacy of his treatment principles.

This text is written in the most clear, concise, and under¬standable manner possible, using “case-based learning” as an important pedagogical tool. It begins with six important guide¬lines on building facial harmony and stability, including the sur¬rounding tissues, anterior torque control, skeletal control, trans¬verse control, occlusion, and the soft-tissue profile and smile. Subsequent chapters detail clini¬cal concerns in all these areas. In addition to principles for diagno¬sis and treatment planning, the reader receives numerous clinical tips on case management and other useful treatment pearls developed by the author.

Topics such as mandibular intercanine width, mandibular incisor boundaries, the role of incisor torque, and dental arch width and form are covered in great depth. Dr. Alexander thor¬oughly debunks unsubstantiated attacks on properly diagnosed, well-planned, and appropriately managed extraction therapy with respect to overall stability, facial

and smile esthetics, and periodontal and TMJ health. His phi¬losophy is to base the extraction decision on treatment principles, rather than other less-worthy cri¬teria. Clearly, Dr. Alexander uses nonextraction treatment as a strat¬egy rather than a goal in itself.

While the text describes the rationale behind the design of the Alexander Discipline, each and every point can be applied to any modern orthodontic appliance design. Leveling the curve of Spee without flaring the mandibular incisors is among many useful techniques described in this book. The references and case studies presented at the end of each chap¬ter will also be significant learn¬ing tools for any clinician.

Dr. Alexander’s text is a brilliant compilation of time-honored clinical principles, meld¬ed with modern orthodontic goals that are empirically derived, evi¬dence-based, or evidence-bol¬stered. This text might do more than any other I have read to prevent yet another generation of needless orthodontic “retreat¬ments”. Yes, it is that important.

(This last paragraph will be used in the promotion of the book by Quintessence Publishing…)

ELLIOTT M. MOSKOWITZ, DDS, MS

The Alexander Discipline, Volume 2:  Long-term stability
R. G. “Wick” Alexander; Quintessence; 2011;
www.quintpub.com; 208 pages; 1000 illustrations;
$152.00

Reviewed by Peter Shapiro

Dr Alexander has been a major contributor to clinical orthodontics for many years. Also a longtime faculty
member, he is currently a clinical professor of orthodontics at Baylor in Dallas, the University of Texas in Houston,
and New York University.

As he explains in the introduction to Volume 2, “The purpose of this book is to recognize and identify guidelines
that will place the teeth in particular positions that will produce the healthiest, most functional, most esthetic,
and most stable results possible.”
The book is nicely laid out and very readable. Its organization is based on his “Six guidelines to building facial harmony and stability”: surrounding tissues, anterior torque control, skeletal control, occlusion, soft-tissue profile, and smile. In each chapter, he presents the evidence, mechanics, stability, and exceptions. I particularly liked the exceptions sections, because in them the author emphasizes that there are exceptions to all guidelines and rules. At the end of each chapter, case reports illustrate the clinical principles of the Alexander Discipline. The case reports are superb; it is the luxury of a text rather than a journal article that allows presentation of complete records before treatment, at the end of treatment, and many years after treatment and retention. The photographs are excellent and illustrate the appliances and mechanics used during treatment. The case reports were selected from the “Room of Truth,” the storage facility with the records of the 15,000 patients treated in Dr Alexander’s office.

The Alexander Discipline is a straightforward and logical approach to orthodontic treatment and follows,
in general, what we know from the literature about the long-term stability of orthodontic treatment. However,
he makes some statements that are not supported by current evidence: open bite causes mouth breathing, there is
a strong relationship between temporomandibular disorders and occlusion, and there is a relationship between
bruxism and occlusion. The appliances and archwires he advocates are logical, but there is no scientific evidence
to support the statement that they result in better stability. Nevertheless, those minor issues do not detract
significantly from the overall message of the book. I see this as an excellent resource book rather than
a reference text. It is worth sitting down and reading from cover to cover. I think that future treatment guidelines
of the American Association of Orthodontists will not be much different from those of the Alexander Discipline.
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2011;140:905

0889-5406/$36.00
Copyright _ 2011 by the American Association of Orthodontists.
doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2011.10.014

And now…On to the future!
Wick

Posted on our website is a lecture by one of Japan’s finest orthodontists, Dr. Kyoko Tachibana. She presented this paper, Facial Profile, at our International Symposium in Italy, March, 2011. In addition to being a fantastic exhibit of high quality extraction treatment, she blends in historical facts about the Japanese and soft tissue profiles. Don’t miss this!!

The AAO gathering in Chicago was a great meeting. Our lecture on Long Term Stability was heard by a “standing room only” audience. We saw many friends who had come from around the world to the meeting.

One of the highlights of my life occurred in June. My University of Texas alumni group invited my sons, Chuck and Moody to share the podium with me at the 50th anniversary celebration for the alumni association. It made me a very happy father. Our presentation was….Orthodontists from Texas – Past, Present, Future!

Later in June I was warmly welcomed in Mexico (Quertaro and Guanajato) for two presentations and then, enjoyed a small, but strong group of orthodontists in Nova Scotia, Canada.

I must admit the most memorable lecture location each year is my trip to Japan. This year everyone was still concerned about the effects of the tsunami and potential radiation poisoning. But, for our meeting in Osaka, we had a great turnout of 1st timers taking the Principles course. The Study Club meeting followed the Principles Course and was in its usual high standard. With support from Biodent (AO dealer in Japan), who contributed financially from all sales at the meeting, we were able to raise some significant financial support to send to the Japanese Red Cross.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. (It’s hard in Texas now…over 100° every day). The Principles Course will be held in Arlington, September 8-9, 2011. We expect a big audience…so, if interested….sign up early.

And now…On to the future!

Wick

As wintertime turns into spring, the Texas bluebonnets are beginning to think about blossoming … probably will not happen until next month. ?
On a more sober note, isn’t it remarkable how much turmoil our world is now in!!! We have been in contact with many of our Japanese friends and, thank God, as far as we know, all of our study club members are safe and sound. Our continued prayers go out to all those in distress.

Also, what terrible unrest has appeared in the Middle East. Ironically, just recently I was in contact with the American Orthodontic management discussing and planning a trip to that part of the world. As we discussed the trip, I was recollecting the wonderful time I had in 1993 when I was privileged to be the speaker for the FIRST Arab Orthodontic Congress held in Amman, Jordan April 29 – May 3, 1993. It was one of those incredible experiences that will be remembered for always.
We are also praying that peace and safety for all our friends and associates in hopes that normal lifestyles will soon return …. And we can come visit you!!!

Hopefully, you are aware of the SYMPOSUM being held in Rome March 31st to April 2nd. The program will be outstanding!!! Go to www.alexanderdiscipline.com for details.
I so much appreciate the special group of people who have volunteered to be on the program. They are traveling in from around the world, at their own expense, to share their knowledge with other orthodontists. Although I am prejudiced, this will be a group of the greatest orthodontists in the world. It will definitely be worth your time and money.

Before we know, the AAO Meeting in Chicago will be upon us. If you are planning to attend, please come support me during my lecture. It will be at 9:35 am on Sunday morning, May 15th. The title is “It’s Time to Stand Up for STABILITY!”Surprised?

In closing … continue to think of our friends who are having difficulties in their lives. And don’t forget to count your blessings! We are the luckiest people in the world to be orthodontists!

Dr. Wick

SAVE THE DATE…. for our 2011 International Symposium.
The Alexander Discipline International Symposium
April 1-2, 2011
ROME, ITALY

The Alexander Discipline International Symposium is a two-day clinical program that will feature a diverse, talented line up of speakers from around the world.
The theme for Symposium 2011 is….

“Technology, Efficiency and Stability: Key to a Rock Solid Foundation”
REGISTRATION: http://www.power2reason.org/rome01.htm

Although when you listen to the news reports, it sometimes makes you wonder. The political situation in America is in “turmoil” as we near the mid-term elections in November …reflecting similar circumstances around the world.

So what should we do? Although orthodontics encompasses only an extremely small percentage of the economy, we do have an opportunity to change people’s lives as well as help improve the local community. So we can continue on an individual basis to give the very best for our patients!

This fall brings with it one of the busiest lecture schedule yours truly have ever had.  We begin with the “Principles” course in Arlington – September 9-10. If you have never taken this course, this is a great opportunity to understand our philosophy and mechanics. Many graduate students from various ortho programs are already signed up.
After we finish with this year’s Principles Course….it is time to get ready for Asia and Europe… I will be lecturing in China (Xian, Wuhan and Shanghai)…then on to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Following the lecture in Jakarta I will attend the annual meeting of the Southwest Component of the E.H. Angle Society.  The 2010 meeting is being held in Kyoto, Japan and hosted by our Japanese members.

Back in the air again, I will travel to Europe to lecture in Italy (Milan, Naples, and Florence)…then, Vilnius, Lithuania and the last stop is Poznan, Poland…..

Although this is a very long schedule, I really look forward to reconnecting with so many excellent orthodontists and students around the world….we will enjoy learning together!

Also … it is not too early to begin making plans for our 2011 International Symposium.

The Alexander Discipline International Symposium
April 1-2, 2011
                                                                    ROME, ITALY

The Alexander Discipline International Symposium is a two-day clinical program that will feature a diverse, talented line up of speakers from around the world.
The theme for Symposium 2011 is….

“Technology, Efficiency and Stability: Key to a Rock Solid Foundation”

….The Italian Study Club will be hosting this event with the support of the Alexander Foundation, American Orthodontics and SIDO…

So, as you can see, things are happening at AFORE. Please make every effort to participate in continuation of your education and fellowship with the greatest orthodontists in the world.

With all the turmoil in the world today, sometimes it can give us a negative attitude about the future of our world … Greece, devaluation of the Euro and other factors in which you and I have no control … we can sometimes wonder about the future of our world.
I often think about my grandchildren and their future. Will they have the opportunities that my children and I were so blessed to have? Being a natural optimist, I believe they will have many more opportunities than me. The modern technology evolving in orthodontics will enable us to treat more patients better than past generations. By doing our part in creating smiles for our patients…we help them develop better attitudes about life and their futures.

Speaking of the future…
I hope you are making plans to attend the 2011 International Symposium in Rome, Italy – March 31, April 1-2.        Many times in my lectures, I have quoted the phrase, “All roads lead to Rome.”
But I have followed it up by asking, “WHERE is Rome???
This next year, we will all know and gather together for a wonderful celebration of friendship and sharing of knowledge!

BOOK UPDATE:

After discussions with Quintessence at the AAO meeting, the decision was made to introduce the book at the 2011 AAO meeting in Chicago, Illinois. We continue to increase the number of long term patients coming back to the office to have Moody treat the new generation. And I must say … the long term patients are looking better and better!!!  
Maybe those “Guidelines” we continually discuss are important after all!

SELF LIGATION Survey:

Over the past few years much advertising has been directed toward the use of self-ligation brackets. I have been told that their popularity has reached its peak and has leveled off or slightly reduced.   It is apparent that some of you who are “believers” in our technique have switched to self-ligation for efficiency purposes.

So I have a question for you…
Do you believe that we should pursue the development of an Alexander self-ligation bracket?
If so, let me assure you that if we begin work on this, it will be designed in such a way that the quality of our finished result will not be reduced.

Life is short—-ENJOY!

CURRENT NEWS:

Yours truly, Elisa and Becky are hard at work on the next book…

“Treatment Guidelines for Building Facial Harmony and Stability”.

At this time, the book has 8 chapters, and over 25 long term cases to study.  If all goes well, it should be published by the end of the year.  If you have any thought or suggestions, now is the time to let me know.

As the global economy has threatened the welfare of all of us, maybe this is a good time to re-focus on the real purpose of our profession…PATIENT WELFARE.  Most parents will sacrifice for their children.  Maybe we should also be more lenient with their financial obligation during these troubled times.  The good news is that times will be better!! So, if we continue to focus on quality care, it will not be long before times will improve and you will be better off than before.

For my schedule, the first half of the year 2010 will be spent lecturing in the USA…NYU, UKC, Kansas City, White Plains, NY.  I will not be lecturing at the AAO this year; but, will be at the American Orthodontics booth.  Hope to see you in Washington, D.C.

The second half of the year will be spent on the big bird (airplane) traveling around the world – China, Italy, Poland, and Japan and possible more.  Hope to see you during this time!

Mark your calendar now for the next Alexander International Symposium to be held in Rome, Italy!
March 31, April 1-2, 2011!!

This is the earliest we have ever scheduled this meeting, so you have plenty of time to create a paper to present.  The theme of the meeting is:

Efficiency and Stability:  Keys to a Rock Solid Foundation

Have a great Spring (northern Hemisphere) and always remember….E=R!!
Feel free to contact Becky or me if you have any suggestion or questions related to the Alexander Discipline.
Life is short—-ENJOY!

Looking back to the close of 2009, we had a very successful lecture tour to Germany and Poland in December. Included in the German audience was the “Bavarian” Alexander Study Club, led by Dr. Florian Faessler. I had the opportunity to visit several offices and was very impressed with the beauty of their offices and especially the quality of their orthodontic treatment.
One of the joys in my life has been to see my students become better orthodontists than their teacher. 

Krakow, Poland was my next stop. Every time I venture into Eastern Europe, I am reminded of the hardships suffered by these people during World War II and the Soviet Union. I visited the WW II concentration camp, Auschwitz, which gave a very sobering feeling of the horrors of war, as well as the thanks we must always remember to give to those who sacrificed their lives to allow us all to enjoy the freedoms of today.

The lecture topics included two of my latest interests concerning “Biomechanics” and “Guidelines.” These courses focus on where the teeth should be at the end of treatment … then, mechanically, how we can achieve these goals.

It is my hope and prayer that everyone who reads this had a wonderful Holiday Season. My family was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some time in Aspen, Colorado for skiing and relaxing. The “old man” can still get down the mountain on those skis! 

And now …. on to the future!!

January 2010 has already given us the opportunity to get off to a good start with the Advanced Principles Course in Arlington, then on to New York to share my experience with NYU graduate students.

As we begin this new decade, I want all to know how happy I am with my relationship with American Orthodontics! They have been focused on helping create high quality products that continue to make our system the best bracket system possible. If you ever have any problems or miscommunications with AO, feel free to contact me. They are dedicated to making it the best bracket system in orthodontics, so they want to help you.

My next lecture will be at the University of Illinois in Chicago on Feb. 12 – 13th.
Detailed information can be obtained by contacting:
Kim Damrow at American Orthodontics (800-558-7687).

In looking back over my life, I can recall how many small decisions resulted in changing the direction of my life. I am sure you can see similar events in your life, also.

Enough of the distant past, let’s look to see what has happened recently and what to expect in the near future.

Autumn brings a break from the heat and plans for a great trip to Bulgaria and Romania in September.  In Bulgaria, the Study Club is growing and developing an excellent group where the doctors are learning from each other by sharing cases and discussing treatment plans.  It is a pleasure to enjoy their successes.  Dr. Ivan Goryalov and his wife, Sylvana, joyfully welcomed the birth of their daughter, Eva, on her Sept. 25.

Following Bulgaria, I traveled to Romania.  Bucharest is such a beautiful city.  I gave the Principles Course here and everyone really enjoyed the wire bending session.  Thank you to Study Club members who helped with the hands-on activity. Your knowledge and experience is invaluable.  Everyone always wants to spend more time bending Omega loops.

After this trip to Eastern Europe, I traveled to Baja, Mexico ….It was great getting to know the members of the Baja California Ortho Group and also the students from Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Campus Tijuana. My lecture was “Guidelines for Building Facial Harmony and Stability”. There were 8 of the students from Baja who came to Arlington to attend the Principles Course.

For those of you who want to know more about the basic fundamentals of the AD, the annual “Principles” course is in September in Arlington. For the “beginner” in our technique, this is the perfect course.  Also, we always have several long time users who return for a refresher course. You will also be hearing from brother Moody, son Moody and nephew Cliff.  In 2 ½ days we teach the 20 Principles that are discussed in detail in my latest book.  You need to have my book, if you don’t already have it.  You can order it from this website.

As we move into the Fall….I not only shared many memories at my high school reunion in Amarillo, Texas; but, also made new memories while celebrating the 30 Year anniversary of the Alexander Study Club of Japan.  My trip to Japan included lectures in Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagasaki.  The first time to work with Biodent of Japan was truly a pleasure.  All the details coordinated with the Study Club members were excellent. Although it was the celebration of 30 years of coming to Japan, it was my inaugural visit to Nagasaki.  The city has made remarkable recovery from its destruction in 1945.

Thank you for sharing your home countries with me.  I feel so welcome in each place I visit around the world and look forward to sharing America and Texas with you some day.

Remember that I will be teaching an advanced Principles Course in January.  See the website for details.

Now, “On to the Future”….

Wick