Dr. Michael Tilghman joined the practice of Dr. Marston Jones 10 years ago this summer following completion of dental school and a three-year orthodontic residency at the University of Maryland Dental School. He chose to join Jones’ practice (and later purchase it) because he respected Jones’ commitment to excellence and his highly dedicated and professional staff. Many of the original staff remain today and have continued their development as certified orthodontic assistants.  While celebrating his anniversary, he is excited about what the future holds both in the field of orthodontics and in the growth and development of the Eastern Shore.  

Tilghman has seen many developments in both the technology and philosophy of orthodontic treatment. Gone are the days of bulky headgear that patients had to wear for a minimum of 14 hours a day to correct severe overbite. Recent improvements have included ceramic (or tooth-colored) brackets with clear wires, invisible “aligners” (such products as Invisalign), and most recently, lingual braces — brackets placed on the backside of teeth. While Tilghman’s office offers all of these products, he stressed that they are not appropriate for all patients. The “latest and greatest” devices may get a lot of hype — but Tilghman, a self-described conservative orthodontist, will make sure that the right product is used to achieve optimal results, he asserted.
Tilghman also utilizes the “Damon” system of self-ligating brackets, which eliminates the need for elastic or metal “ties.” He has found them to be highly effective and efficient in the vast majority of cases. “The Damon bracket allows the teeth to move a little freer and faster, and fewer appointments are necessary for adjustments because of the design.”

Tilghman said he hears a lot of patients talking about Phase One and Phase Two, a philosophy some orthodontists have that a child should be fitted with braces early, at age 7 or 8, and then again later, at age 11 to 13. “That was the philosophy 10 or 12 years ago, to treat patients twice — early as intervention, then less treatment later,” Tilghman explained. “I’m very cautious in recommending this method, because generally you can get the same results treating the child all at once later.”

In fact, the latest research results show that whether orthodontic treatment is started early in childhood or allowed to wait until the teenage years, the same results can be achieved. Tilghman said maybe 10 percent of orthodontic problems need to be addressed at age 7 or earlier.

Of course, there are often small, intervention measures that can be taken such as removing a few primary teeth early, but Tilghman’s philosophy has always been to wait until the child gets most of his or her permanent teeth.
The advantage to letting the child grow is that some problems resolve themselves — and the child won’t have to go through the process twice. “You don’t want to burn the child out, because the second time you may not get the cooperation you need,” Tilghman stressed.