Articles

Bodywide Influences of Dental Procedures
Laughlin, J. III
"From the carving of wooden teeth to laser use in decay detection, dentists have strived to provide the highest quality of care possible for their patients. Now it is time for the dentist to look beyond the mouth, to the vast opportunities of benefits availableto their patients with an integrated healthcare approach ... READ FULL ARTICLE(pdf file)

Cranial Therapy and Dentistry
Laughlin, J. III and Laughlin J. IV
"Dentist, along with most doctors, are taught to analyze body systems and body parts separately. We are taught to change one area at a time, but such approachesfrequently ignore the interconnectedness of the systems in the human body. If it is accepted that normal cranial motion and structure are necessary for the optimal functioning of the individual ... it shouldbe possible to acknowledge that dental procedures can potentially have debilitating, possibly long-term effects on a person's health ... READ FULL ARTICLE (pdf file)

A Holistic Approach to Orthodontic Treatment with ALF
Lemke, L.
"Before you build a house you need to make sure that you have a stable, solid foundation. The same is true for orthodontic treatment: before you address straightening teeth and improving the smile your body needs to be well aligned - simply put: you need to stand "straight". ... READ FULL ARTICLE

ALF, Cranial Osteopathy, and Overall Health
Lemke, L.
"Medicine as an art rather than a science: Medicine - with orthodontics as a special branch - in its nature is not a science but an art that uses a complex scientific system. No two patients are the same and factors well beyond what can be captured in double-blind studies greatly affect the outcome of treatment, one of the most important factors possibly being the personal encounter between patient and his or her practitioner." ... READ FULL ARTICLE

Orthodontics without extractions (article first published in the 'Irish Dentist')
McDermott, H.
"Based on an understanding of ‘functional jaw orthopaedics’, Hugh McDermott presents a case highlighting the use, the benefits and the magic of ALF (advanced light-force) appliances"... READ FULL ARTICLE (pdf file)

ALF/Lightwire Appliances
Murdock, D.
"Dr. Darick Nordstrom has designed several appliances that are used in conjunction with the ALF philosophy. The basic concept is to create appliances that do not lock up the maxilla in a block of acrylic. Therefore the appliances are very small and easy for the patient to wear. This permits the cranial sutures to assume their natural posture. The appliances, used in conjunction with cranial manipulations, will allow for a more permanent dental result and aid in the elimination of multiple dysfunctions." ... READ FULL ARTICLE

Is it Mental or is it Dental? Cranial and Dental Impacts on Total Health
Silkman, R.
"The widely held model of orthodontics, which considers developmental problems in the jaws and head to be genetic in origin, never made sense to me. Since they are wedded to the genetic model, orthodontists dealing with crowded teeth end up treating the condition with tooth extraction in a majority of the cases"... READ FULL ARTICLE (pdf file)

ALF Reduces Orthodontic Relapse Factor
Smith, G. H., Ashton, H.
"Past orthodontic research by Schwarze, "Expansion and Relapse in long Follow-Up Studies", concluded "... that orthodontically induced transverse sizes of the dental arches are very unstable." The article further stated that, "the majority of patients showed a decrease of the transverse molar and canine distance from the end of treatment to the follow-up examination." Also emphasized was the fact that "prolonged retention periods do not prevent relapses". These findings are based on orthodontic techniques that focus on movement of teeth and maxillary expansion without regard for existing cranial base and cranial bone distortions"... READ FULL ARTICLE

CRANIODONTICS - New technology of the twenty-first Century
Smith, G. H.
"The term Craniodontics has been coined by this author to focus attention on the fact that use of dental orthopedics/orthodontics or any restorative dental procedure that directly changes the occlusion will affect the alignment of the 22 cranial bones (excluding the 6 ear ossicles). The effectiveness of dental orthopedics in expanding the maxillae both transversely and sagittaly is well documented, however the time has come when dental practitioners must look beyond the parameters of the teeth and alveolar bone to the highly functional cranial system"... READ FULL ARTICLE

ALF / Whole Body Connection
Smith, G. H.
"Embryologically the teeth, with the exception of the enamel, develop from neural crest cells. This same group of "brain cells" gives rise to the autonomic nervous system. This developmental relationship is the underlying connection for the myriad of somatic symptoms that are directly and indirectly caused from malocclusions. Crooked teeth feed noxious impulses into the nervous system which cause responses from corresponding organs" ... READ FULL ARTICLE

ALF/Orthodontic Connection - Case Study by Gerald Smith, DDS
Smith, G. H.
"Conventional orthodontic treatment recommended extraction of four healthy bicuspid teeth for a 12-year-old, Melissa T. to make room for the crowded remaining teeth. The crowding was created by under development of the patient's dental arches. By removing teeth the genetic potential for growth of the patient's jaws would be compromised." ... See before and after pictures and READ FULL ARTICLE