Several of the dentists writing with concern over Dr. S.J. Bowman’s article "More Than Lip Service: Facial Esthetics in Orthodontics" (August JADA) do not have orthodontic educations or at least are not listed as practicing orthodontists with the necessary qualifications as educated orthodontists.
One, in fact, casts aspersions by using the term "Academic Mafia." Frankly, I believe I understand what he means by the term, but I resent his use of it.
It is quite certain to me that refereed or corroborative evidence with additional research is not Mafia-like. Some dental practitioners, for whatever reason, do not understand or prefer not to understand the need for replication of orthodontic or any dental studies.
Furthermore, another dentist uses the term "form follows function," which was proven misleading, if not false, many years ago. It has been demonstrated that the reverse is actually true in certain instances.
Dentists, even some orthodontists, have not had sufficient background in child growth and development studies. This is unfortunate. They do not know or recognize the influence of the musculature.
In the future, it would serve JADA editors well to use more restraint in publishing letters from unqualified writers who prefer to use the forum to forward their individualistic opinions rather than to consider cold, hard facts as a basis for correspondence.
