Thank you for asking me to respond to the letter to the editor submitted by Dr. Carapezza. I’ve read it carefully. I couldn’t help but notice that the remarks by Dr. Carapezza aimed at JADA and my own motives for publishing "Evidence-Based Orthodontics for the 21st Century" were fueled by his own practice management/business decisions, and not by a genuine adherence to the ethics of informed consent and patient autonomy. The University of North Carolina and Boston University data cannot be compared to the clinical anecdote offered by Dr. Carapezza.
With regard to Dr. Carapezza’s take on "the orthodontic gold standard for treating this Class II patient ... as reported by Dr. Ackerman," I cannot find any use of the term "distalization-retraction mechanics" in my article. It is no secret that health care professionals are trained to make clinical decisions based on best possible evidence, available to both the clinician and patient.
As much as a dialogue with Dr. Carapezza to discuss the available scientific evidence might be fun, I am unable to engage in such a conversation; Dr. Carapezza has not presented any new evidence. Meanwhile, I shall hope he finds my essay inspiring.
