W/C 07.01.19

1. You Get What You Pay For

Weekly
Event:
'The demise of traditional manufacture' - a talk by Craig Whittet
Responsibility - both as a consumer and a designer - is something is something that I have become very aware of lately. Perhaps it’s all the Vivienne Westwood interviews I watched whilst writing a recent great design blog post (read it here). She says the best thing she ever said was “buy less”, and I think that’s what Craig was getting at too. The ideal is to spend your money on a few select, well made, long lasting items. The initial cost is higher but you get what you pay for. Take interest in the story behind your purchases, appreciate the manufacturing skill behind them, and recognise their worth. Quality over quantity.

I recently watched a documentary with the same message about the fashion industry; apparently the second most polluting industry after gas and oil. I was left thinking that whilst the solution is obvious I don’t think the consumer of today will be taking note anytime soon – we love fast fashion, we love to stay current, and sticking to the same items for years isn’t so trendy. It's exciting to buy new things, and our tastes change. 

The argument also falls short, when given examples such as Manolo Blahnik's high end shoes, which are really just a statement, and probably only worn once or twice. 

So while I’m on board with Craig, I wonder whether it’s a lifestyle choice reserved for those with a passion for design - and the money to invest in high quality products.

Beginnings

Project Proposal: The Future of Orthognathics
Over the past 6 years my face has changed dramatically. I’ve had extensive numbers of orthodontic appliances, treatments, and a maxilla and mandible osteotomy; complex surgery in which my upper and lower jaws were broken and reconstructed with titanium plates. My orthognathic treatment is almost at an end and has left me with lots of insights into how design and technology might influence treatment and improve patient care. Can technology help teeth move more quickly and with less discomfort? What could be used to help a patient who can't speak or eat post-surgery? Is there any product that can make a swollen, metal encased mouth feel clean? Is there a better way of examining progress than spending hours travelling to and waiting for a 2 minute appointment?...  

From surgical robots to remote monitoring and collection of big data, technology is set to hugely change healthcare. For this assignment I want to specifically explore what orthognathic treatment of the future might be like. 3D scanning is already being introduced to make impressions of teeth, rather than subjecting patients to a mouth full of weird tasting goo. New materials such as heat activated alloys are being employed as a more effective and less painful alternative to stainless steel wires.  

Modern society is increasingly obsessed with the way they look, people want straight, white teeth and symmetrical faces. While my treatment was a result of medical need, I expect the desire for orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery for aesthetical reasons will grow hugely – especially if it is an experience enhanced by modern design and technology. ​
 Some Potential Activities:
  • Contact experts at Glasgow Dental School.
  • Books and reports available through University of Glasgow Library e.g. ​3D Virtual Treatment Planning of Orthognathic Surgery: Swennen, Gwen: 2017  ||   Computer-Guided Applications for Dental Implants, Bone Grafting, and Reconstructive Surgery, Marco Rinaldi et al: 2015
  • Investigation of beauty standards and body modification - examining the work of body modification artist ORLAN.
  • Looking at the relationship between orthognathic treatments and adjunctive rhinoplastys.
  • Straightening the Way: orthadontics documentary series
              (But mainly see where the research takes me!)


​The History Of Orthognathics:

Definition: 
The word orthognathic comes from the Greek word orqos, meaning to straighten, and gnaqos, meaning jaw. Orthognathic surgery thus means to straighten a jaw. Orthognathic surgery is a subset of craniofacial surgery. It involves the surgical manipulation of the elements of the facial skeleton to restore the proper anatomic and functional relationship in patients with dentofacial skeletal anomalies. 

Facial balance typically is assessed by dividing the face in thirds. The upper third is from the anterior hairline (trichion) to the glabella, the middle third from the glabella to the subnasale, and the lower third from the subnasale to the menton. When each of the thirds is equal, the face is said to be balanced and of "ideal" proportions. The lower third may be further divided into an upper third (subnasale to oral commissure) and a lower two thirds (oral commissure to menton). Additionally, in profile view the face should have a slight degree of convexity as measured from the glabella to the subnasale to the menton. 

Unlike many surgical procedures, the outcome depends not only on the surgical procedure but also on a multitude of factors that begin long before the actual surgery as well as on control of the variables long after surgery.  Orthodontic appliances are worn for at least 24 months pre-surgery and 6 months post-surgery. Malocclusion (poor bite aligment) is frequently worsened in pre-surgery orthodontics as the teeth are being aligned for the position of the jaw post-operation. 

Surgery is carried out on the top jaw (Maxillary Osteotomy), bottom jaw (Mandibular Osteotomy) or both (Bimax Osteotomy). I personally had a Bimax Osteotomy for aysmmetry ​
Origin: 
The origin of orthognathic surgery, which was at that time limited to mandibular surgery, was in the United States of America. The first operation for the correction of malocclusion was Hullihen's procedure which was carried out in 1849. Other examples of general surgeons of the 19th century who reported on different maxillofacial operations were: von Langenbeck, Cheever, Billroth, Dufourmentel and others. The cradle of early orthognathic surgery, however, was in St. Louis where the orthodontist Edward Angle (1898) and the surgeon Vilray Blair (1906) worked together. ​
What I’ve been looking at this week: 
​
https://www.baoms.org.uk/patients/procedures/5/jaw_surgery__british_orthodontic_society_website?_s=1 
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1279747-overview  

~ Historical development of orthognathic surgery, E.W Steinhauser ~ 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1010518296800023 
​
~ Oral and maxillofacial surgery: The mystery behind the history, D.M Laskin ~ 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221255581500232X ​
>> Next post:
​2. The Eyes Have It // Seeing The Future Of Orthognathics