Going For the Gold: The Diplomate Award

I feel honored to currently serve the American Orthodontic Society as one of the Board Examiners for Tier Advancement. And at the same time, I leave annual meetings a bit perplexed and frustrated. Prior to being a dentist, I was a school teacher. Nothing upset me more than to tell a child their work was not quite good enough. Well, 37 years later, the hurt has not lessened. Whether it is a young child with great expectations, or a fellow clinician attempting to achieve the Diplomate award with our proud society, saying “you did not make it” feels the same in both situations. It stinks!

As I thought about the theme for this journal “New Innovations in Orthodontics”, I decided to try to convey to all future applicants for Diplomate a new yet basic concept: Present cases that meet the SIX KEYS OF OCCLUSION. “Hey, that’s an old idea Jackson!” Or is it? Have we just forgotten to think about this simple statement prior to applying for this very prestigious award. Again, you should present cases that meet the six keys of occlusion.

Not every case you treat in your office will meet these six tenets. Not every orthodontic case finishes as you desire. There are extenuating circumstances too numerous to mention in this article. These cases are not Board cases. Board cases are cases which satisfy the six keys of occlusion. Prior to presenting cases for the Diplomate award, ask yourself, does each case meet the six keys of occlusion? I would like to present to you a case which satisfies these requirements.