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The idea to develop a software standard and then implement it started fr=
om the current confusion within Orthodontic Software. In 2000, while studyi=
ng Biomedica=
l Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, a Greek friend of =
mine asked me how much time it would take to write an orthodontic software =
that would work around the current disorganization and incompatibility betw=
een softwares that was present at the time.
Alexandros Moullas
Dr. Moullas was getting his degree in the Orthodontics Department<=
/a>. He was soon to graduate and didn't really know which software package =
to install in his father's practice in Greec=
e. There was none, he felt, professional enough to meet his needs. He c=
ouldn't find a global solution, one that could fully meet his dema=
nds. He liked some elements of the one package, but other elements were bet=
ter handled by other packages. If just he could take the best of each softw=
are... He soon realized, though, that mixing and matching software would ca=
use more headaches than benefits.
And one evening, with his usual Greece nostalgia, he come over my apartmen=
t, and said: "Listen my man: How much time does it take to write a program?=
". That's how it all started.
I began to think about how I could solve this issue. I started brainstormi=
ng, I figured the program had to be a platform independent but especially m=
odular. On the other hand, I knew I couldn't, by my self, write a software =
that would be better then everybody else's.
My vision was to create an open source core, which includes all basic sche=
duling functionality and development libraries, and then letting third part=
y software vendors write commercial modules for it. This would allow for co=
pyrighted ideas to be included into the solution, while at the same time it=
would greatly benefit academic research.
The idea stalled until after I crossed Africa and finally got to Brazil. I=
figured Brazil would be a good place to actually start writing code, and f=
ound the University of Bras=C3=ADlia=
to be pretty friendly. But when I sat down and started designing the softw=
are, I realized I had to define a data structure. This is when I first star=
ted thinking about sharing the information, and how each software developer=
invests time to design a data structure similar to the one already designe=
d by another developer. I thought it would have been good to have one rule =
set for the data structure such that other software developers could implem=
ent it, without having to reinvent the wheel. Besides, the advantages of ha=
ving a standardized data structure go well beyond cutting down development =
time.
And so here I go, in 2004, faced with the task of having to chose a topic =
for my master's thesis. After having revised various very interesting proje=
ct with different professors, I decided to work on my own idea, and propose=
the "developing a standard for orthodontic informatics data" as my master'=
s thesis. This was particularly exciting also because it would allow me to =
work close to my father, a genius in his field. Needless to say, I was very=
happy when my advisor accepted my project.
During my initial stage, I was trying to contact as many orthodontists and=
developers as possible by attending conventions and personal meeting that =
my father helped to set up. Eventually I was lucky enough to hear about som=
ebody who started a very similar project at the same time, contacted them, =
and joined them.
At this stage, I am co-chair of an ADA SCDI working group. I am res=
ponsible for leading the group called Integration of Orthodontic Standa=
rds with dr. Carla Evans. This is a very exciting project! Thank you, =
Dr. Moullas, for getting me started on this!