::principles

Principles of the Alexander Discipline

The Alexander Discipline is based on the premise of twenty principles. Any enduring principle must be built on a solid foundation, on certain beliefs that have been tested and proven by time and experience. In the Alexander Discipline, twenty principles are followed that give this technique its uniqueness.

1. Effort Equals Results

Educate and motivate patients to follow instructions. “We are only as good as our last performance.”

2. There are NO little things

“Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think, there are no little things.”

3. The K.I.S.S. Principle

Keep it Simple, Sir!

4. Establish Goals for Stability

5. Plan Your Work

6. Use Brackets Designed for Specific Prescriptions

7. Build treatment into bracket placement.

Height
Angulation
Mesio-Distal Position

8. Exploit Growth to Obtain Predictable Orthopedic Correction

9. Establish Ideal Arch

Archform Design
Orthopedic Design

10. Follow a Logical Archwire Sequence

11. Utilize Contemporary Archwire Force System.

12. Consolidate Arches Early in Treatment, then tie back!

13. Obtain complete bracket engagement. Litigation of Archwires.

Litigate with Steel Archwires / Tie Back Archwires

14. Level Arches and Open Bite with Reverse-Curve Archwires

15. Create Symmetry

16. Use Intraoral Elastics to Coordinate the Arches

Premature use of C/2’s very dangerous!

17. In Non-Extraction Treatment:

Initiate treatment in Upper Arch
Control Lower Arch using –5 degree torque on incisors, -6 degree tip on 1st molars and initial flexible rectangular archwire

18. In Extraction Treatment:

Initiate treatment in upper arch
Retract upper 3’s