OliviaG.

Rasbornik
124SandpiperDrive
Mooresville,NC28117

January6,2014

Mrs.ChristineKopp
EnglishIIIHonorsAcademicPartner
PineLakePreparatory
1639MecklenburgHwy
Mooresville,NC28115

DearMrs.Kopp,

AsatopicforthePRIDEPaper,Iwouldliketopursuethefieldoforthodontics.Thishasbeen
anareaofinterestformostofmylifebecauseIconsideritfascinatinghowteethcanbe
manipulatedtoproduceadesiredoutcome.Mostofthetopicsbroughtupinthepaperwill
consistofthehistoryoforthodontics,technologicaladvances,majorcontributors,educational
processes,surgicalprocedures,andofcourse,theobvious,braces.Ialsowishtoincludethe
mentaleffectsoforthodonticssuchasselfimageandconfidence.Withthesetopics,Ihopeto
exploretheorthodonticpracticeandlearnwhatittakestobecomeanorthodontist.

Inordertolearntherealhandsonprocessesofanorthodontist,Iwillanalyzethetypicaldayin
thelifethatthepracticehastooffer.Frommyresearchthusfar,Iwillincludedetailed
explanationsofhoworthodontistsperformtheirbasicdailytaskstotheirspecializedworks.
Regularworkinvolvesconductingconsultationsforbraces,estimatinghowcertainbraceswill
affectaclient,applyingthebracesorotherdentalfixtures,andmolding/shapingretainersfor
postbraces.Consultationsinvolvebringingpotentialclientsintotheofficetobexrayedand
evaluatedforbracesoradifferentdentalappliance.Theclientsapplicationmaybesuspendedif
teethandgumsareunhealthyandifsurgicalproceduresareneededtocreateortakeawayspace.
Onceapproved,theorthodontistmustdecidewhatwaytheywishtotacklethetaskinthemost
efficientandbeneficialmethod.Whentheappointmentforapplyingthebracesarrives,theclient
willcomein,typicallyearlierintheday,andtheywillproceedintotheactivephaseoftheir
orthodonticprocess.Usuallyappliancesarewornforatleastayearandahalf,andoncethe
orthodontisthasseentheclientreachthedesiredeffect,theyareremoved.Inordertokeepthe
teethfromshifting,retainersmustbemade.Tomakeretainers,theorthodontistmustgetmolds
oftheclientsteethandthenshipthemoldstoalabtechnician.Theseactivitiescreatethe
everydaylifeofanorthodontist,notincludingallofthespecialtycases.Thesetaskswillmakeup
thebulkofmypaperandIintendtothoroughlyexaminethisfield.

Ipledgetoavoidplagiarism,andIamawareofthePLPethicsguideanditsconsequencesfor
cheating.

Sincerely,
OliviaRasbornik