Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2018 - 27

Resident Research Review

University of British Columbia, Faculty
of Dentistry, Division of Orthodontics

Dr. Rob Mintenko
Third-year Resident

The University of British Columbia (UBC),
founded in 1915, is a global center for research
and teaching and is consistently ranked among
the 40 best universities in the world. The UBC
Faculty of Dentistry has served as a leading dental school since 1964, having been named the
top dental school in Canada for 2017 and within
the top 30 dental schools in the world based on
academic reputation, employer reputation, and
research impact.
The orthodontic program at UBC is one of only
two Canadian graduate orthodontic residencies
within the PCSO region. Although the graduate
orthodontic program was founded recently -
in 2010 - UBC has been at the leading edge in
many areas of research including obstructive
sleep apnea, craniofacial morphogenesis and
development, cleft lip and palate, and long-term
effects of serial extraction and palatal expansion.

cases treated to ABO standards. As part of the
graduate program, all residents are required to
take the ABO examination and become boardcertified.
Effects Of Extractions on the Upper Airway
The effects of extraction in orthodontic treatment have been analyzed in terms of the volume
and cross-sectional area of the upper airway. In a
2016 study, Dr. Ben Pliska compared changes in
upper airway dimensions from CBCT scans in
extraction and non-extraction groups of adults
taken before and after orthodontic treatment.1
The key findings showed that extraction does not
constrict the upper airway in adults and that
there was a wide amount of individual variation.

With leadership from Program Director Dr. Edwin
Yen and Clinical Director Dr. David Kennedy, UBC
strives to provide the highest level of education
in orthodontics from both clinical and research
perspectives. All residents complete a combined
diploma in orthodontics with an MSc in craniofacial science. As part of UBC's mission of advancing research, one of the five residency positions is
held each year for a qualified PhD candidate.

Cover page of the December 2016
issue of the AJO/DO, featuring Dr.
Ben Pliska's study of the effect of
orthodontic treatment on upper
airway volume in adults

Spring 2018  PCSO Bulletin

The didactic curriculum is largely focused on
preparation for mandatory specialty examinations conducted by the Royal College of Dentists
of Canada. To become licensed as an orthodontic
specialist in Canada, residents must pass a twopart specialty examination process - a comprehensive written exam followed by a two-day
in-person clinical and case-based scenario exam.
Clinically, residents prepare case presentations in
the format recommended by the American Board
of Orthodontics (ABO) and must successfully
pass a final examination in the third year of residency by presenting and defending completed

Defined total airway, consisting of the
nasopharyngeal (NP), retropalatal (RP), and
retroglossal (RG) regions of the oropharynx. The
palatal plane set as the horizontal, with
measurements taken in the midsagittal plane
Long-Term Effects of Serial Extraction and
Palatal Expansion
Dimensional changes in the palate associated
with early treatment of posterior crossbite were
the focus of a 2016 study by Dr. Abdulkadir
Bukhari. Changes in palatal width, surface area,
volume, and molar angulations were measured

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2018