Lithuania | Vilnius | June 14, 2018

1. There are some untruths being spread about self ligation brackets and the “magic” associated with them. These myths tend to turn off a lot of doctors who don’t believe the claims being made. I cover those myths.
2. There are three basic truths with SL brackets:
3. Cleaner, more efficient, lower friction in the bracket/wire relationship.
4. “Control” and “finishing” with SL don’t have to be an issue, especially with dual activation systems.
5. Efficiency leads to increased profitability. Busy practices will increase profits with SL, despite the higher bracket cost, due to the increased efficiency. Chair time availability eventually becomes an issue in busy practices. Particularly in scheduling longer “braces on” appointments.
6. There is a “mechanics learning curve” with any bracket system and SL systems are no different. I review tips for overcoming some
   of my “lessons learned” while using SL brackets. Mistakes that can be avoided. Side effects that can be controlled. Multi-tasking
   and efficiency.
7. I review the pros and cons of active and passive SL systems and the benefits of being able to combine them in a single system,
   dual activation.
8. I usually show cases where I made mistakes and what I do now to not make the same mistakes. I don’t show a lot of “beautiful, perfect” cases, I show a couple, but typically doctors don’t want to see one after another “perfect case” because that isn’t realistic, they want to see your mistakes and what you did to not repeat them. I have some good cases to show, but I think I learn more
   by seeing the ones that didn’t go so well for doctors.

Dr. Christensen graduated from UNLV in 1995 with
a Bachelors of Science degree in Biomechanical Kinesiology. During his time in undergraduate study, he also took a two year hiatus from his studies to serve a service mission in the Dominican Republic. He attended dental school at Creighton University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000. While at Creighton he received numerous academic awards and distinctions, including memberships into the prestigious Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity and Omricon Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society, as well as membership into Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society. He received his MS degree and certificate
in Orthodontics from Baylor College of Dentistry in 2002.

Dr. Christensen owns and operates two private practices in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Dr. C and his wife, Melissa, have four children: twins, Adrie and Andie, and two boys, Chase and Cash. He enjoys traveling, exercise and fitness and target shooting.