Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment analysis--concepts and values: Part II.

Orthodontic treatment must be harmonious with normal growth and developmental patterns. Also, force systems used during malocclusion correction should attempt to improve or compensate the less normal patterns. Because orthodontic treatment is generally undertaken during the time when the patient is experiencing growth and development, to treat harmoniously with growth is a serious responsibility for the clinical orthodontist. By using control, successfully treated, and unsuccessfully treated samples, this article identifies some areas that must be controlled if orthodontic mechanotherapy is to be successful. Some suggestions for diagnosis and treatment management are made after a careful analysis of the three samples.