A skeletal problem in a growing patient should be treated at the skeletal level whenever possible.

Orthopedic Treatment Planning is a structured course by Dr. Omar Yousry that takes you from diagnosis into one of the most important stages of orthodontic treatment planning: deciding when and how to use growth modification.

The course begins with a systematic treatment-planning framework based on three essential questions: Does the patient need treatment? Is this the right time to treat? And what type of treatment does the patient need? 4- Orthopedic Treatment Planning

Once an orthopedic approach is selected, the focus shifts to growing patients with skeletal discrepancies and how external orthopedic forces and functional appliances can be used to enhance, restrain, or redirect growth.

You will study the orthopedic management of Class II skeletal problems, including functional appliance therapy and Twin Block design, followed by Class III treatment, including maxillary protraction concepts and Face Mask therapy.

The course then moves into transverse skeletal problems, including maxillary expansion, and finishes with vertical growth problems, including skeletal deep bite and skeletal open bite.

Throughout the course, the emphasis is not only on selecting an appliance, but on understanding why it is indicated, when it should be used, how it should be designed, what effect is expected, and what comes after the orthopedic phase.

The objective is to treat the skeletal component during growth instead of masking it with dental compensation when growth modification is still possible.

Learn a systematic framework for orthopedic treatment planning
Understand treatment need, timing, and treatment type
Differentiate orthopedic treatment from orthodontic camouflage
Understand the principles of growth modification
Learn when growth can be enhanced, restrained, or redirected
Plan treatment for growing Class II patients
Understand Twin Block indications, design, effects, and follow-up
Plan orthopedic treatment for Class III skeletal problems
Understand Face Mask therapy and alternatives
Manage transverse skeletal discrepancies through maxillary expansion
Understand orthopedic management of skeletal deep bite and open bite
Learn the role of anterior bite planes and posterior bite blocks
Understand consolidation after orthopedic treatment
Know when the patient may need fixed orthodontic treatment afterward

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Evaluate whether a patient has a genuine need for orthodontic treatment
• Determine the appropriate timing for treatment
• Select between interceptive, orthopedic, orthodontic, orthognathic, and adjunctive approaches
• Recognize skeletal problems suitable for growth modification
• Understand the principles of enhancement, restriction, and redirection of growth
• Plan orthopedic treatment for Class II skeletal discrepancies
• Select and design functional appliances such as the Twin Block
• Understand the consolidation phase after functional appliance therapy
• Plan treatment for Class III skeletal discrepancies
• Understand the role of Face Mask therapy
• Identify transverse skeletal problems requiring maxillary expansion
• Understand treatment concepts for skeletal deep bite
• Understand treatment concepts for skeletal open bite
• Plan the transition from orthopedic treatment to fixed orthodontics when needed

This course consists of 5 recorded online lectures covering orthopedic treatment planning in growing patients.