Personalized orthodontics: Limitations and possibilities in orthodontic practice

Personalized medicine has garnered a tremendous amount of attention, yet has not even approached its potential in the provision of healthcare. This chapter includes synopses of orthodontic treatment guidelines and caveats for selected genetic conditions and syndromes. Multiple factors and processes contribute to the response to orthodontic treatment. Some patients exhibit unusual outcomes linked to or associated with polymorphic genes. Analysis of overall treatment response requires a systems analysis using informatics for integration of all relevant information. The influence of genetic factors on treatment outcome is studied and understood in quantitative terms. Conclusions from retrospective studies must be evaluated by prospective testing to truly evaluate their value in practice. Next Generation Sequencing and other types of genetic studies, and then their careful assessment in clinical trials for their relevance to diagnosis and treatment outcomes, are necessary to further the evidence base for the practice of orthodontics.