Charles J. Burstone developed a popularly used cephalometric analysis in 1978 that’s still being commonly used by orthodontists today for patients who require Orthognathic surgery. In this analysis they use landmarks and measurements that can be altered through several common surgical procedures. The Burstone analysis can also be known as COGS (Cephalometrics for Orthognathic Surgery).

The COGS system carefully describes the patient’s horizontal and vertical positions of their facial bones by using constant coordinate systems:

• Size of the bone: represented by direct linear measurements
• Shape of the bone: represented by angular measurements

Characteristics

The chosen landmarks and measurements are chosen because they can be easily altered by various surgical procedures. The Burstone analysis includes all of the facial bones along with a cranial base as a reference. Once the critical facial skeletal components have been measured, the orthodontist can use these measurements in a mock surgery setting. Through this systemized approach all of the measurements can then be computerized.

Skeletal and Dental Analysis

Horizontal Skeletal Analysis

When analyzing the horizontal skeletal profile analysis a few simple measurements should be made on the skeletal profile in order to assess the amount of discrepancy among the anteroposterior direction. This is called the Horizontal Skeletal Profile Analysis simply because of all of the measurements in this set of analysis and their make up parallel to the horizontal profile.

The angle of convexity is the angle formed between N-A and A-Pg, the standard value in males ranges from 3.90 to 6.40, and 2.60 and 5.10 in females. In this case, a positive angle represents convex profiles while negative angles are an indication of concave profiles. This measurement describes the position of apical base of the maxilla in relation to the nasion. It’s measured by taking N perpendicular to A, parallel to HP. The horizontal distance is dropped from N and measured from point A.

Vertical Skeletal Analysis

The vertical skeletal discrepancy may be reflective of an anterior, posterior, or complex dysplasia of the face. This discrepancy is divided into two main components: an anterior component and a posterior component.

To measure this discrepancy, the N-ANS perpendicular to HP, the orthodontist must measure the distance between N and ANS measured perpendicularly to HP. This measurement will give the facial height for the middle third of the patient’s face. The standard value for men ranges between 51.5 to 57.9, whereas for women the standard value ranges from 47.6 to 52.4. Any slight increase or decrease in this value can indicate an increase or decrease in the middle third facial height respectively.

The Burstone Cephalometric Analysis is just but one step in a diagnosis and treatment planning process for surgical cases. This analysis can give the clinician or orthodontist greater insight into the quantitative nature of the skeletodental and soft tissue dysplasia that couldn’t be analyzed otherwise. This COGS analysis uses linear dimensions as a way of describing the size, shape, and positions of facial bones. This linearity is very practical because surgeons think measurements through in their head in millimeters opposed to angles, when planning and accomplishing these procedures.

To aid the orthodontists and surgeons in this process CephX’s cloud based platform collects all of these components and measurements to easily record and store data to easily compare these values and relationships.

As an orthodontist, one of the most daunting tasks can be dealing with how to market your practice. As budgets are crunched and outsourced help can be a strain, many practices are coming up with their own marketing ideas and initiatives to attain new patients.

While the thought of the task of marketing your practice may be scary to you, it’s not really something to be afraid of. You know inevitably it must be done, and it’s better to get it done seamlessly and with great results. So instead of becoming overwhelmed and letting the thought of marketing drive you stir crazy, follow these easy ideas to implement simple marketing strategy into your orthodontic practice.

Find all the local dentists in town and offer them something, just because!

Above all, humans like to receive. It is innate to our being that when we receive something we feel the need to reciprocate this action by giving back. As an orthodontist looking for new clientele take advantage of this tactic of persuasion! Reach out to other dentists in the area and offer them lunch or even a cup of coffee. You’ll be amazed the difference it makes when you engage with them one on one, especially when it comes to which orthodontist they’ll refer their patients to.

It can be dentistry/orthodontics related such as a free consultation/ records appointment, or a tour of your labs or something as naive as wishing them a happy birthday with cake and a personal card. In this case the point is to make a personal gesture that the dentist will remember you by. Try and leave them wishing there was some way they could repay you for your kind gesture.

Comp Cards

Using the same principle of receiving, we as orthodontists can use comp cards to give a little and receive a lot. Another part of our innate humanism is our strive for commitment. By offering first time patients a free consultation or a free gift from your practice, they feel not only as if they want to reciprocate by giving you their business but also that they have to keep consistent with their first appointment.

These comp cards can be delivered to patients that haven’t been active in awhile, a new patients waiting list, referral list, etc. By offering them a reason to come into the practice you’ve already gotten your fit in the door, and getting them to commit is the easy part.

Referral Reward Program

The greatest form of marketing these days can’t even be performed by the practice itself. Instead, patients are most keen to hear reviews and good word of mouth sentiment from their fellow friends and colleagues. According to a research by Nielsen, 92% of people trust a recommendation from a friend or family member more than typical marketing messages.

Don’t be shy, ask your patients to tell their friends and family about their experiences at your practice. Particularly orthodontists are a sensitive place for many first time patients, they want to make sure they’re being seen by someone they can trust. Encourage your current patients to spread the word by rewarding them with gift card or other small gifts to show your appreciation. This is a win-win for both you and the patient bringing in new business and making your current patients feel valued.

Patient’s Day

Another way to show your patients how much you appreciate them and their value amongst your practice is by taking a day every year to honor them. As a patient it’s a fun way to get to know others in similar situations and just have a good time together. Some ideas could be closing down the practice for the day and showing a movie on the projector, providing healthy snacks of course. Or taking the patients to a bowling alley or sporting event. Not only will you get to know your patients better in a more intimate setting, but it’s also a great way to get other potential business through word of mouth.

These are just four easy ways you can begin the marketing process for your orthodontic practice. You can easily implement these into your strategy with little to no budget, because even the smallest gestures like wishing someone a happy birthday can have a big effect on your patients. Other innovative technologies you implement in your practice i.e. CephX’s cloud based ceph tracing system makes your practice that much more marketable and more attractive to future patients.