OJW Supplies and Responsibilities

Directory/index of all OJW pages on drted.com

All the FAQ's related to OJW

Supplies:
 

1.  12 orthodontic brackets of any kind: Dr. Rothstein uses TP Begg brackets Cat. No. 256576, cost about $15 for 12 of them. TP Company Tel. No.: 800 348 8856.
2.  An adhesive system to bond brackets either direct (Dr. Ted's preference)  or light cure.
One syringe of direct bond adhesive $15.00 and one small bottle primer catalyst $26 from Advance Orthodontics Tel. No.: 718 252 4295.
3.  2 - 10" pieces of  .014" (E-126) or .016" (E128) dead soft ligating wire: One roll 25' from.  (Rocky Mountain  (Tel. No.303 534 8181) Cost $2.65.
4. One 5" Mathieu needle holder to twist ends of dead-soft ligature wire together. Cost $20. Patient keeps until term of commitment to OJW.
5. One dead-soft wire cutter to cut excess ends of wire used to wire jaws closed. Cost 15-$25. 
5. One hardware-store quality small-nose wire cutter for patient to cut wire when undoing jaw wiring. Cost $5.00..patient keeps.
   
The total start-up cost of equipment and supplies to deliver patient-care in OJW: Under $100.
The post-start-up cost of equipment and supplies per patient to deliver OJW : $25. 
 
Dr.'s Time to do OJW: 30 minutes.
Assistant's time 45 minutes.
Fee for initial service: $1400- $2685, then $85-$125 for gingivo-dental-TMJ evaluation examination, prophylaxis and rewiring.
 
Dr.'s responsibility PRIOR to OJW visit:
 a. To have reviewed patient's signed Informed Consent and Medical and Dental history 10 minutes
 b. To have spoken with patient by telephone all for the purpose of determining that the patient meets the provider's criteria for being a suitable candidate...time 5-15 minutes. See some reasons that make a candidate unsuitable.
c. To have contacted patient's Physician and Dentist to coordinate treatment with them as the OJW provider and patient deemed appropriate. 5-15 minutes.
d. To have received back a signed copy of the document sent to the patient called "How to Proceed When You Choose OJW" to assist in the control of compulsive overeating, and the OJW Telephone Memo.
e. Remind the patient that they must provide you with a note from their physician saying: "The patient is in good health and may choose to begin a weight loss program that involves wiring the jaws together that entails a low calorie liquid diet".

Dr.'s responsibility at the time of the Initial OJW visit:

  a. Review the patient's Informed Consent with the patient.
  b. Review the OJW Telephone Memo with the patient and have him/her sign it.
  c. Bond the brackets and place one side of the wiring allowing 1.0-1.5mm of play in all the directions.
  d. Have the patient snip off the wire.
  e. Rewire both right and left sides,
allowing 1.0 -1.5mm of play in all the directions. See wiring diagram.
  f.  Appoint patient to next visit in 5 weeks and advise them to remove the wires for 5 days (for exercising jaws) prior to return to office.
  g. Remind them that for effective weight loss they will need to be on a 1350 (female) -, 1450 (male) - calorie liquid diet.
  h. Remind them to carry a wire cutter at all times and to remove the wires immediately at the least suspicion of illness or nausea.
  i. Take a whole body photo of the patient and obtain their starting weight.
  j.  Document your service in detail in the patient's treatment chart. See a typical initial chart entry.
  k. Make sure have received the Physician's note...see note e. above.

  l. Assistant will provide kit instruments and supplies especially when it is certain that patient will be unable to return to be rewired by you regularly*:
        1.  5" Mathieu needle holder
        2.  8 pieces of .014 dead soft wire
        3.  A wire cutter
        4.  3 spare brackets
* All orthodontists will rebond a bracket, but no orthodontist will take on the responsibility of rewiring a patient. Therefore if the OJW provider is certain the patient will not return for exam and rewiring the provider must provide the patient with the know-how to do it for themselves. See wiring diagram.
 
Treatment coordinator's/assistant's time 45: minutes
a.  To gather and layout beforehand all the instruments needed for OJW.
b. Assistant will demonstrate on models (before that patient sees the dental professional and then again after) how to do the jaw wiring if a dental professional cannot be found to provide the service. This demonstration (tell, show, and do) is given to the person having the OJW as well as the OJW patient's spouse or significant other.
c.  To photograph the patient and document the patient's weight.
d. To appoint the patient to return in 5 weeks for oral and TMJ exam- prophylaxis and rewiring.
 
Administrator's job prior to OJW:
    To assure that the patient's file contains:
        a. A properly signed OJW Informed Consent.
        b. Medical and Dental history.
        c. The properly signed "How to Proceed When You Choose OJW."
        d. Scheduled the OJW appointment.        
        e. To have collected the "(non-refundable) appointment reservation fee" $350-$450 (deducted from total fee due for OJW procedure).  The OJW appointment is scheduled after this fee is paid (either by credit card or money order).  Collect the balance of fee upon arrival for the OJW
appointment. If the patient cancels the appointment after paying the fee, the reservation fee is applied to a rescheduled date.  Reservation fee has been returned in the past when a patient cancelled the day after reserving appointment which was approximately one month prior to OJW appointment.
        f.  To call to confirm patient's appointment 2-4 days in advance.
         g.  To provide the OJW patient a letter to present to their employer explaining in a non-embarrassing way that they are under treatment. (
For those OJW patients who would feel more comfortable having a professional's letter to present to their employer you can see the one I provide.  See the letter.

Ps. Three very important questions: See the answers

Question 1: What is the guarantee that the subject in question will not proceed in their old way of eating after wiring is removed? 
Question 2:   With their mouth being shut, how or what will the person drink to replace the nutrients lost in a solid food diet to keep them in a healthy state?
Question 3: Is this procedure open to all people looking for a way to lose weight or just for people undergoing orthodontic procedure?
 

Part I of a four-part free online course  will be published at www.drted.com January 30, 2005. Register at:
http://www.drted.com/OJW dpojw register form.html