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       #Post#: 593--------------------------------------------------
       Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers of
       Headgear
   DIR By: OmarL
       Date: January 15, 2014, 5:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Hi All,
       I'm new here and am launching a class action against orthodontic
       colleges and/or manufacturers of retractive orthodontic
       appliances.  This is my story in short, and I'm sure many you
       have the same story:  When I was 11 yrs old, I had headgear for
       two years.  The retraction of my maxilla caused by the headgear
       stunted the growth of my upper airway.  My upper airway today is
       about 1/4 the size it should be and I sleep with a CPAP machine
       so that I can breath at night.  Orthodontists are not taught to
       avoid damage to the upper airway when restricting growth of the
       maxilla, which in large part forms the upper airway.  In
       practice, they assume the airway will be okay, however, they
       don't have any qualifications to make this assumption.  This is
       called willful negligence and a class action lawsuit could
       prevent many children from having their airways (and other
       physical characteristics) compromised.  The fact that
       orthodontic colleges miss this point all together in their
       curriculae and that manufacturers don't have warning labels on
       their products are both also negligent.
       Join me in this fight to change orthodontic practice for the
       better.
       Thanks,
       Omar
       Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges & Associations
       - Organizing out of Vancouver, BC
       Contact:
       Omar Lalani
       olalani@gmail.com
       Were you ever given headgear or fixed braces/retainers and told
       they were designed to restrict to the growth of your upper jaw,
       so that your lower jaw could catch up to correct an overbite?
       Do you now have sleep apnea, a compromised airway, a flattened
       facial profile from the side, or constant fatigue and/or chronic
       neck and back pain?  If so, you may want to consider taking part
       in a class action against orthodontic associations and colleges
       for knowingly teaching and spreading practices that are harmful
       to the public without appropriate patient disclosure, when
       non-harmful alternatives to such practices have been available
       for decades.  Orthodontic colleges teach that restricting the
       growth of the maxilla (upper jaw) through headgear and other
       devices will allow a child's mandible (lower jaw) to catch up in
       order to correct an overbite.  The problem with this is that the
       position of the maxilla directly impacts the dimensions and
       shape of the airway; this is a known fact of anatomy.
       Therefore, restricting the growth of the maxilla is the
       equivalent of restricting a component of the upper airway, and a
       restricted airway can have disastrous lifelong health
       consequences, including but not limited to sleep apnea.
       Orthodontic colleges do not teach future practitioners of this
       danger, nor the need to inform potential patients of this
       danger, yet professionals who govern the colleges are fully
       aware of the anatomical relationship between the maxilla and the
       airway.  Since the 1920's, alternatives to restrictive - also
       referred to as retractive orthodontics - have been in practice
       in many parts of the world and have been well documented in
       orthodontic circles.  These practices include the use of
       functional orthopedic appliances that encourage forward and
       lateral growth of the upper and lower jaws, and hence do not put
       restrictive forces on the growth of the upper airway.  Despite
       these technologies being available, many orthodontic colleges
       continue to teach retractive methods, and many orthodontists
       today continue to adversely impact the airways of the children
       they treat, without informing parents and patients of this risk
       and the alternatives.
       For this class action to be successful, enough people need to
       come forward in an organized way.  Once 100 names and stories
       are collected, I will proceed to have the class action
       registered.
       The class action lawsuit will contend that orthodontic colleges
       and associations have been engaged in willful negligence towards
       patients and society in general.  No orthodontist can deny their
       knowledge of the anatomical relationship between the maxilla and
       the airway, nor can they deny that there are consequences to
       restricting the growth of the airway.  No orthodontist can claim
       that they have the knowledge and qualifications to evaluate
       impacts to the structure and function of the airway, yet they
       continue to use techniques that adversely impact the airway.
       Worse yet, they are not taught to consult respirologists or ear,
       nose and throat doctors during the course of orthodontic
       treatment to fully understand the impact of the restrictive
       forces they are putting on the airway.  Add to that the fact
       that there are non-restrictive alternatives and the lack
       instruction to issue disclosure to parents and patients of all
       of the above, i.e. teaching and using retractive methods in the
       presence of awareness of consequences, lack of knowledge on how
       to evaluate the consequences, a willful lack of consultation
       with qualified experts along with a willful disregard for
       alternatives and what we have is a classic case of willful
       negligence that is institutionalized.
       If you were given headgear, were not informed of potential
       adverse consequences to your airway and were not informed of
       non-retractive alternatives, please list your name, your contact
       information and send me your story to be a potential claimant in
       this class action that is currently in the works.
       Once again, my name is Omar Lalani and I can be reached at
       olalani@gmail.com.  I will respect your privacy and your
       information will only be used for submission in the class action
       registration and proceedings.  Alternatively, simply post your
       story here as a reply.
       #Post#: 594--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: Matt91
       Date: January 15, 2014, 6:39 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Whilst I am new to this stuff and have very little experience in
       it, you are certainly worthy of praise and commendation for
       seeking to make a formal challenge towards the orthodoxy in this
       way. Speaking for myself, I am so jaded, having uncovered all of
       the myriad lies and conspiracies, that I have pretty much
       dropped any hope I may have had for these kinds of changes.
       My problems are not orthodontic in origin, but pretty crippling
       nonetheless.
       I would imagine that many of us here are very angry at having
       our lives intruded upon, impeded, or even totally ruined by the
       deleterious effects of allopathic/mainstream medicine and it's
       offshoots, and the irresponsible, unaccountable practitioners
       that must surely be aware on some level, as to what they are
       doing. The terrible pain and suffering, the loss of
       opportunities, friends and loved ones dead before their time...
       it's not good.
       And it won't be changing any time soon.
       *Sigh*
       #Post#: 595--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: Gaia
       Date: January 16, 2014, 12:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yes, kudos to Omar! I've already shared my story with him and I
       encourage anybody here who has had a similar experience to do
       the same. Also, we could share this on blogs and other message
       boards.
       Why not broaden the topic to all kinds of retractive
       treatments/appliances and not just headgear? And why not include
       people who just had crooked teeth (without any overbite/overjet)
       and were given this kind of growth restricting treatment? As far
       as appliances go there are other kinds that work like headgear,
       for example Twin blocks, Bionator, Mara and Herbst appliance.
       Or would that be too broad for a legal process?
       #Post#: 596--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: bstratt25
       Date: January 16, 2014, 5:10 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Awesome Omar, that's a fight worth fighting.
       #Post#: 607--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: OmarL
       Date: January 21, 2014, 5:42 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       We need more stories people...
       #Post#: 610--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: rachel
       Date: January 22, 2014, 9:52 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Hey Omar --
       So I am guessing that you are trying to organize a lawsuit
       within the Canadian legal system, yes? I understand that class
       action lawsuits in Canada are both separate from US (derr) and
       also newer than in the US.
       I'm personally quite upset about the disfiguration, confusion,
       and money spent attempting to fix my **** orthodontic work. Two
       points I think are important to your case:
       1) Constricting a growing skull in teenage and pre-teen years
       (through restrictive orthodontic work(when the skull is
       growing/forming)) is obviously illogical, ethically
       irresponsible, and proven to cause restricted airways.
       2) Many children and teens (being under the control of their
       parents and/or uneducated in their options) do not have a choice
       in whether they want to have orthodontic work done. This is
       essentially a cosmetic procedure. Should an 11 year old have the
       right to reject her parent's desire for her to have a nose job?
       Restrictive orthodontics (with the proof you will show in your
       lawsuit) are a procedure that promotes aesthetics over
       health/functionality.
       I am working on a startup in my spare time that has to do with
       class actions and organization. I would like to hear more about
       how you have amassed a group so far, who (specifically) you are
       planning to sue, if you have met with an attorney, what your
       experience has been like, and what resources you used in
       organizing your suit. I might be able to help you (and others)
       in a big way. Email me: rachel@rachelmoore.net
       #Post#: 665--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Class Action Against Orthodontic Colleges and Manufacturers
       of Headgear
   DIR By: OmarL
       Date: February 10, 2014, 4:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Hi Rachel,
       I'm not sure if you got my email.  I'd love to chat with you.
       Yes, I've met with lawyers, have had some legal opinions and am
       putting together a team of potential expert witnesses.
       I'm going for the Canadian system right now and would love to
       make it a joint effort to make change in the US as well.
       You can write to me at olalani@gmail.com.
       Best,
       Omar
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