【Chris Chang Ortho】623. Topic Review：L7 impaction

“There is nothing like writing to force you to think and get your thoughts straight.” – Warren Buffett This quote above encapsulates exactly what writing means to me. During the last 30 years of my orthodontic journey, I have always considered writing to be the one skill that has enabled me to meticulously organize my thoughts. It will therefore come as no surprise to you that case report writing is a fundamental and crucial part of our clinic’s residency training. In this edition of JDO, we are focusing primarily on the VISTA technique, with Dr. Joy Cheng’s publication of a case with impacted and transposed canines treated with VISTA and bone screws (reprinted with kind permission of International Journal of Orthodontics), as well as Dr. Jeff Lee’s report of a labially-impacted canine managed with VISTA, connective tissue graft, IZC screws, and a 3D lever arm. Last but not least, Dr. Joshua Lin’s Clinical Tips section provides a comprehensive overview of maxillary impaction management. I am so glad that we started this journal 15 years ago, as it has served as a great platform for our own doctors to present their written studies. Still now, we never stop striving for improvements in our writing skills, as well as case analyses. Our JDO is literal proof of all those years of accumulated hard work. I am furthermore thrilled to announce that the Universitāt of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, contacted us last December to discuss the possibility of making Beethoven one of three world-wide prerequisite courses for studying towards their Master’s Degree in Specialized Orthodontics. A compulsory part of the Master’s is obviously writing a thesis, which sounds and is in fact very arduous, even for many seasoned orthodontists. Luckily, here at Beethoven, we have been training ourselves for at least 15 years. Therefore, I encourage doctors, especially of the younger generation, to work towards this academic milestone with the help of our experienced lecturers. I am sure that this will be a life- changing journey for you all as orthodontists. Finally in our Taiwanese lifestyle section, we are focusing on free-flight training, not only for birds, but also, metaphorically speaking, for humans. We discuss how trust plays an indispensable role in bird training, and how the process has inspired me in training my own residents. I wish each and every one of you a prosperous and healthy 2022, and look forward to the time when we can again personally meet along our path to glory.