2019 Message from President of JAAO ~ Dr. Kenji Ojima ~
There was a time, not long ago, when many patients were told “your teeth cannot be fixed with aligners.” However, that time has passed. Now, aligners are becoming recognized as a treatment option even for extraction cases. This year is the 6th meeting of the Japan Academy of Aligner Orthodontics, and through our last 5 meetings we have had 83 presentations from 77 different speakers. On the shoulders of these great speakers, this years presenters will all be speaking about extraction treatments with aligners.
There can be no doubt that this year’s theme is possible because of the work of not one, but many doctors. We will hear about the innovative approaches of 16 different doctors, and it is my sincere hope that we can all take these milestones with us to apply to our own practices. Working with the knowledge of only one doctor is like only being able to see one side of a cube. With a bird’s-eye-view, from many different angles, the other 5 sides become visible.
The advantages of aligners exceed [being removable] and [being invisible]. These are but one side of the the potential of aligners. The sum of all sides of this cube make great treatments. There is a saying, “You cannot see the wood for the trees,” and in this way, through attention not just to orthodontic treatment, but also to dentistry, the patient’s body, and background, the advantages of aligner treatments will be more visible.
Why digital? Should we just use a computer? Why scan? Digital orthodontics is more more than just turning on and using a computer. To understand the true potential of digital orthodontics, we must leave behind our analogue careers and recognize that our patients are living, breathing humans, not machines.
I’m excited and deeply appreciative for the opportunity to hear our 16 great speakers guide us through the woods to show give us a better view of the true potential of aligners in extraction cases.
December 2019
President of 6th JAAO_ Dr. Kenji Ojima
Philosophy of Japan Academy of Aligner Orthodontics (JAAO)
- Improvement of scientific knowledge and treatment technology for the aligner orthodontic appliance.
- Share the information, share the merit of various aligner orthodontics appliance.
- Cooperation not only Japan (JAAO) but also Europian, American or Asian Aligner Orthodontic Society.
Japan Academy of Aligner Orthodontics（JAAO） is an initiative of experts in the field of orthodontic treatment using clear plastic splints. The aim is to demonstrate and promote the benefits of the increasingly popular wire-free orthodontics.
This is achieved by establishing and supporting research projects in this field, continuing education and symposia and working closely with national and international professional associations.
The JAAO thus represents an ideal platform for technical information and continuing education in the field of aligner orthodontics. Members take part in the continuous development and hence document their expertise to patients and colleagues in this field. Kenji Ojima
Message from President ~ Dr. Kenji Ojima ~
Amazing aligner orthodontic systems are being developed world wide. These approaches utilize orthodontic appliances which cover the occlusal surface, representing a fresh, non-traditional approach to orthodontic treatments.
On the first day of the 2014 meeting of the AAO (American Association of Aligner Orthodontics) 4 presentation slots were dedicated to aligner appliances. Professor Tim Wheeler’s presentation introduced over 50 different aligner treatment systems used around the world. Japanese systems were notably absent from this presentation. I realized that at that time, Japan was not counted among countries with treatment systems on the cutting-edge of aligner orthodontics.
The first symposium of aligner orthodontics my colleague Dr. Dan and I attended was the second annual meeting of the German Association for Aligner Orthodontics (DGAO) in 2012. The environment we experienced was respectful, without a hint of criticism; purely a place to study, present and exchange opinions on different aligner orthodontic systems. It became my mission to foster a similar atmosphere in my own country and 2 years later, in 2014, we were able to make this dream a realty through the first meeting of the JAAO.
My main motivation for holding symposia such as this one is to foster an opportunity to breakdown the barriers between practitioners of different aligner orthodontic systems and bring them together to exchange opinions and information, broaden our collective knowledge of treatment possibilities, and ultimately transfer these benefits, through better treatment ,to our patients both in Japan and in our respective countries of practice.
In November of 2014, I was honored with the opportunity to present at the DGAO on Invisalign Orthodontic Treatment. The event hall was filled with over 600 orthodontists, not only from Germany, but from Italy, France and Spain as well. Following my presentation, I was inaugurated as the president of the Asian Chapter of the DGAO. Ever since, has been our collective goal to deepen the exchange between academic societies of aligner orthodontics of Germany and Japan.
The DGAO was founded 5 years before the JAAO. The JAAO may still be in its infancy, but we expect to be the gathering ground of wisdom for the future of aligner orthodontics in Japan.
President of Japan Academy of Aligner Orthodontics
KENJI OJIMA
