Dental CE Course: Clinical Modification of Dentofacia Development

The Clinical Modification of Dentofacial Development (CMDD) is an advanced clinical
course involving the intensive study of the technical modification of dental and facial
development of the growing patient. The course has been specifically designed for the
practitioner who seeks a more sophisticated, intellectual and advanced approach to all
phases of age appropriate orthodontic and dentofacial orthopedic treatment.

Participants are exposed to an intensive study of Class I, II, and III discrepancies. This
is accomplished through representative surveys of the details of diagnosis, prognosis,
treatment planning, treatment options, biomechanics design, and retention rationale for
more than 30 patients. Through out the course the learning and thought process
methodologies challenge participants via a "hands-on" format with substantial class
participation. An essential part of the course incorporates the concept of planning
"treatment options". Any clinician who has been treating orthodontic and dentofacial
orthopedic patients for more than 12 months has encountered the variability of treatment
response displayed by various patients. It is discovered very quickly that just because
one wants the treatment to be successful does not mean that treatment will be successful,
nor that the patient's progress will be satisfactory.

Therefore, it is essential in the treatment planning stages to ask and answer questions
such as; "What if this treatment plan isn't working? How and when will I know that the
treatment method needs to be altered? If I am not achieving an adequate treatment
response, what should be my first treatment option for this individual? What are the
factors that are responsible for a lack of treatment response? Is a lack of treatment
response, or an adverse treatment response predictable during the pre-treatment,
diagnostic stages? What are the areas of guarded prognosis for the case? How shall I
inform the parent of the areas of guarded prognosis? Is this a borderline extraction
situation? How and when will I know if non-extraction will be successful? What could
go wrong during treatment if I'm not careful? What will be the appropriate retention
design for this patient? How do I characterize TMJ and facial pain risk factors prior to
the initiation of treatment? What if a TMJ and/or facial pain problem arises during
treatment?

Generally, the CMDD can be describes as a concentrated and intense experience.
Evening sessions are very common. If you have not already done so, discussing the
CMDD with someone who has completed the course is an excellent idea. If you’d like,
we’ll be happy to supply you with list of clinicians in your area who have experienced
The CMDD.
Gerald S. Samson, DDS
Diplomat of The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO)
Fellow of The American College of Dentists (FACD)
Gerald Samson is a 1975 graduate of Marquette University Dental School. He completed
pediatric dental residency in 1979 at Emory University under the direction of Dr. Ed.
Hibbard. He went on to complete orthodontic residency in 1981 under the direction of
Dr. Harold T. Perry at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
From 1981 until 1987, Dr. Samson was an Assistant Professor at Emory University in
Atlanta. His teaching responsibilities in the Division of Craniofacial Development -
Department of Orthodontics included post-doctoral seminars in craniofacial osteology
and physiology; craniofacial growth and development; historical and contemporary
literature review; and the clinical application of Ricketts Analysis, diagnosis, prognosis,
treatment planning and clinical biomechanics design.
In 1987, Dr. Samson was named Director of the Institute for Bioprogressive Education,
The Ricketts School of the Southeastern United States by Dr. Robert M. Ricketts. Dr.
Samson has lectured extensively and is a Diplomat of The American Board of
Orthodontics and a Fellow of The American College of Dentists. He has been a featured
speaker for numerous regional, national and international meetings including the annual
sessions of The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO); The American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry; The Northeastern Society of Orthodontists; The Pacific Coast
Society of Orthodontists, The University of California at San Francisco Orthodontic
Alumni; The Nebraska Association of Orthodontists; The Southeastern Society of
Pediatric Dentistry; The Australian Orthodontic Society - Queensland and New South
Wales; The Parana Orthodontic Society of Brazil, The Bioprogressive Orthodontic
Societies of France and Italy; The Foundation for Orthodontic Research (F.O.R.); The
Venezuelan Orthodontic Society and The Asian Pacific Orthodontic Congress.
Currently, Dr. Samson is Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio;
Associate Professor at Case Western University Department of Orthodontics, St. Louis
Department of Orthodontics and at University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is visiting
lecturer for orthodontic post-graduate programs at The University of California at San
Francisco, Marquette Dental School, Louisiana State University Dental School, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia and at Otago University in Dunedin, New
Zealand.
Dr. Samson was co-principal investigator in studying the Psychological Aspects of
Orthodontic Patient Compliance, funded by The National Institute of Health- Division of
Behavioral Medicine. Since 1981 he has been in the full-time private practice of
orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics in Marietta, Georgia. Because of his special
interest in the clinical modification of dentofacial development, Dr. Samson's private
practice is essentially limited to "growing" patients.