Orthodontics The Art and Science

Preface
The first edition of Orthodontics – The art and Science was released in June 1997. The driving force that led me to
author the first edition of this text book of Orthodontics was the eagerness on the part of the graduating dentists to
know more about Orthodontics and the lack of an all-encompassing book. The success of the first edition and the
warm response that we received encouraged us to come up with subsequent editions constantly incorporating the latest
advances in the field.
Over the last 18 years we have had six editions of the book and numerous reprints. An estimated half a
million dentists and dental students have studied the book in various countries around the world. I am indeed grateful
to the dental fraternity for all the encouragement and support in making the book a best seller.
Orthodontics is a dynamic field with changes occurring at a rapid pace. Orthodontics has proved itself to
be much more than a cosmetic field of Dentistry. Recent interest in the bio-chemical and cellular aspects of tooth
movement has proved beyond doubt that Orthodontics is a specialization that applies the principles of biology as well
as engineering. Orthodontics is also keen to adopt new technology to aid in imaging, diagnosis and treatment delivery.
The sixth edition of the book is divided into nine sections each dealing with an aspect of orthodontics. The
initial sections are aimed at understanding the basic concepts of growth and development and malocclusion. The later
sections guide the reader to diagnosis and treatment aspects and help the reader to apply the gained knowledge on
patients. The sixth edition of the book has three new chapters added. The chapter on clear plastic removable appliances
gives the reader a basic understanding of the recent developments in the use of invisalign and other clear aesthetic
appliances. A chapter on the role of orthodontist in management of sleep apnoea is added to enable the dentist to
identify and treat these patients and refer them for advanced care.
I remain ever grateful to my teacher Dr. V. Surendra Shetty for his valuable guidance over the years. I would
also like to thank Mr Sudhir Kumar Arya, the publisher of this book for his wholehearted support in this endeavour. I
hope this book is accepted and appreciated by the dental community.
S.L.Bhalajhi