Pitfalls of Orthodontic Treatment and Dangers of ALF Appliances

The Advanced Lightwire Functional appliance (ALF) is the most innovative concept to come on the scene in the history of orthodontics. It is the second appliance, besides the Kernot, that was designed to correct cranial distortions. The biggest advantage of the ALF appliance is that it provides gentle forces to expand the maxillae (“upper jaw”) while allowing the practitioner to release specific cranial distortions. The only caveat is that the practitioner MUST be skilled in using the Cranial Indicator System to guide the ALF adjustments.

If you are planning on having your child or yourself treated with conventional orthodontics or with the ALF appliance you must ask the orthodontist if they understand the cranial mechanism and if they use the Cranial Indicator System to guide their adjustments. This is one serious issue that is NOT being addressed in orthodontics today. Some orthodontists work with chiropractors or osteopaths to check cranial alignment. Although this is a great way to proceed, it has a major drawback. If the orthodontist who created the cranial distortion by improper orthodontic adjustments to the braces or of the ALF appliance does not know that they created a problem, how in the world are they going to correct it? Even if the chiropractor or osteopath diagnoses the distortion, if the orthodontist who created it does not understand cranial concepts they will not be able to fix it.

This issue has troubled me since 1995 when I first started lecturing on this incredible technology. Consumers and most orthodontists focus on the esthetics, that is, straightening the teeth to create a pretty smile. In realty orthodontic treatment goes way beyond this. Changing teeth and cranial bone alignment directly affects your spine, pelvis, central and autonomic nervous systems which affect all your vertebrae, muscles and organs. As an uninformed consumer embarking on “routine orthodontic treatment” it may send you into a tail spin of chronic migraine headaches and somatic pain and much expense that you did not bargain for.

Dr. Gerald H. Smith

About The Author

Dr. Gerald H. Smith is certified by the World Organization for Natural Medicine to practice natural medicine globally. He is also a certified dental practitioner. His broad base of post-graduate training in dentistry and natural medicine enabled him to integrate many health care specialties.