Lecture
Digital Orthodontics: Promises and Possibilities
Dr. Brent Larson
Dr. Larson received his dental degree from the University of Minnesota and his orthodontic training at the University of North Carolina before joining the staff at the Mayo Clinic. At Mayo he served as Program Director in Orthodontics and received several "Teacher of the Year" awards. In 1996 Dr. Larson left Mayo for full-time private practice in Rochester, MN where he continues to practice 1 day a week. In 2004 he returned to full-time academics at the University of Minnesota where he currently serves as Professor and Director of the Division of Orthodontics. He has published many scientific articles and recently collaborated with his mentor, Dr. Proffit, on the 6th edition of the Contemporary Orthodontics textbook.
Dr. Larson has received the Distinguished Dental Alumnus Award and Century Club Professor of the Year from the University of Minnesota. He is also the 2018 recipient of the Jarabak Award given by the AAOF for significant contribution to orthodontic teaching and research.
Dr. Larson is active in organized orthodontic associations both locally and nationally. He recently completed his service as the 2018-2019 President of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). He and his wife Cindy have 3 sons, 2 of which are orthodontists, and 5 energetic grandchildren.
The profession of 0rthodontic treatment is increasingly impacted by new digital treatment technologies. These systems promise better and more predictable outcomes through treatment simulation during the planning process and technology assistance to achieve this visualized outcome for each individual patient. It is important for the orthodontist to understand how technologies are adopted, in general, and to know whether these new orthodontic treatment technologies deliver the outcome that is promised. This presentation will present an overview of technology adoption and report on 3 specific studies that were conducted to investigate the actual outcomes of technology-assisted orthodontic treatment.
