History and Introduction

In Europe it was not until the 1800's that there was any significant vision of the importance of dentistry for mankind. A few hundred years earlier, Shakespeare, one of the most intuitive champions of human life and history missed it. World famous artist's celebrated human beauty, but never showed the teeth of their subjects.

Centuries ago in different parts of the world, dental health/aesthetics was already in the minds of some primitive health care pioneers. This is a subject Dr. Jorge Fastlicht of Mexico City, a second generation orthodontist could discuss at length. Dr. Fastlicht did much research on the dental health archetype of the ancients in Mexico.

In North America, orthodontics as a specialty began in the early 1900's. It grew with the help of supporting businesses such as S.S. White, Williams Gold, Aderer Gold, Dee Company, Baker Gold Company, Ney Gold, and a number of laboratories.

Idea exchanges between dentists and commercial resources contributed to advancements. The S.S. White Company with Dr. Angle as an orthodontic consultant was probably the largest orthodontic supply company in America.

While orthodontists have always been interested in a variety of methodologies, the dominant trend in North America seemed to be focused on fixed appliances.

At about the same time in the early 1900's, Europeans were advancing a variety of orthodontia. For example, Dr. Pierre Robin of France was a general physician. Dr. Robin was, and still is considered by many, to be one of the most important influences in the development of orthodontics, especially Early Treatment Orthodontics.

As a general physician, Dr. Robin was concerned with the medical problems of children, especially problems of breathing, growth, development, function, and facial appearance. He saw these as inter-related medical problems needing various kinds of orthodontic treatment.

Are not today's American educational movements toward combined medical/dental degrees Robinesque?

Chrome Alloy (stainless steel) was developed in England. Dr. Sheldon Friel of the United Kingdom and Dr. Lucien DeCoster of the Netherlands had experimented and applied spot welding and stainless steel in their orthodontic practices.

Soon, thousands of miles away in America an article appeared in Mosby's International Journal of Orthodontia and Dentistry for Children. The Mosby article reported on the European spot welding and stainless steel appliances. There were some American Orthodontists who were interested but there was no one with knowledge or experience to help.

It has been said that a lot of business is accomplished on a golf course; so it was with Rocky Mountain Orthodontics. One Sunday morning Dr. Archie Brusse happened to remark to his golfing foursome that his profession involved as many interesting challenges as golfing. He mentioned being interested in what stainless steel might do for dentistry. Dr. Brusse added that he was having trouble getting technical information to learn, and special material to do more.

By coincidence, the brother-in-law of one of the golfing foursome was a Vice President of American Steel & Wire Company. One of his responsibilities was to develop markets for stainless steel. Some time later, Dr. Brusse and the American Steel & Wire Company Vice President were introduced to each other. The two of them eventually developed a mutually advantageous working relationship.

In time, Dr. Brusse was personally assured by this Vice President that scientific information assistance, consulting contact, special small order runs, size and temper variations, and favorable personal payment arrangements for Dr. Brusse would be made.

This was an extraordinary beginning, but it also presented a lot of problems as there was a serious economic depression. How could a miracle be pulled off? There was no capital, minimal technology, no plans, no products, no markets, and no sales. But miracles happen.

The first miracle was Jack Meehan. Jack was the son or Dr. J. E. Meehan, a dentist friend of Dr. Archie Brusse. Dr. Meehan grew up in Aspen and played Sunday baseball on the Aspen team against Dr. Brusse's Denver team.

While attending Regis College in Denver, Colorado, young Jack worked as a part-time Lab Technician for Dr. Brusse. After he graduated, he was hired as a full-time mechanic assistant at a gas station. After working only one month Jack was dismissed. The station owner felt that because economic times were hard, there were other families who needed the paycheck more than Jack and his family.

Jack had been one of Dr. Brusse's favorite patients. After Jack was dismissed from the gas station, Dr. Brusse decided to hire him as a full-time Lab Technician. Dr. Brusse perceived that Jack was a "natural" for what might lie ahead in orthodontics.

During this time there were a number of significant dental developments beginning to surface. Some of the things that influenced the future of Dentistry and Orthodontics were:

Dr. Oppenheim's findings on "osteoblast /osteoclast" bone biology and tooth movement
Dr. Fitzgerald Longcone and his x-ray successes
In Europe, Dr. Paul Simon's cephalometric development was the first system to link dentistry and orthodontics to anthropology through head and model analysis and photographs
RMO developed small spot welders and pre-fabricated chrome alloy appliance systems

RMO's first system was unveiled in 1933 at an AAO meeting in Oklahoma City. While there was much interest shown, only one order was taken. The order was from Dr. Emily Hicks of Corpus Christie, Texas. Jack Meehan and others associated with RMO were excited and encouraged by the questions that were asked at that AAO meeting. While the Oklahoma City meeting was considered a sales disaster, it was believed that the questions and comments indicated RMO was "on track" for an exciting, important, and successful future.

Upon their return to Denver, Dr. Brusse and Jack contracted with Mr. Francis Goddard, a small machine shop entrepreneur. This collaboration would help RMO move into special developments suggested by the American Steel & Wire Company, and would require an expanded work force.

The next employee was Harry Wolf, a recent graduate from Manuel High School in Denver. After realizing RMO's growing technical needs, Harry recommended Thayer (Bay) Brunson. Harry thought Bay was a genius and felt he would be an excellent addition to RMO. Dr. Brusse and Jack soon hired Bay.

Bay indeed was a genius with an uncanny ability to envision the unlimited possibilities of developments within orthodontics. He was willing to learn and do whatever was asked of him, no matter how menial the projects assigned. Bay enjoyed the challenge of offering creative insights and solutions to problems he saw.

Shortly thereafter, Fred Launder joined the team as a machinist/die-maker, and Rosalie Lightsy became the company's first secretary. The team's growing success was expanding into further product developments and educational seminars when most U.S. commerce was interrupted by W.W.II.

RMO experienced modest adjustments during the war, and many key staff members were called to duty. The company ultimately prevailed however, with service-people returning to work and support RMO as it entered the prosperity of the post-war boom and the decades that followed.

From the company's inception, Dr. Brusse's goals for RMO emphasized Evidence Based Interceptive Pediatric Orthodontics. (See Dr. Archie Brusse's original article from 1935 on the following pages.) That philosophy continues within RMO to this day.

RMO supports evidence based protocols and health sciences, and these principles are reflected in our services and products. We believe this approach will benefit both our customers and their patients. As a veteran manufacturer, RMO sees evidence based treatment and support as being the formalization of four levels:

Level I - Ideas, concepts, theories
Level II - Objective evidence from successful clinical results experienced by the originator
Level III - User Groups and clinician recorded documentation using the pre-fabricated product or service
Level IV - University verification studies

Looking forward, RMO's vision of providing Synergistic System treatment solutions continues. RMO believes it is imperative that our industry consider treatment solutions outside of the traditional doctrine of limitations. RMO's philosophy has always been in support of objective clinically proven time-tested concepts and systems, but we also believe it extremely important to consider innovative concepts and techniques from clinical inventors. These alternative developments often compliment conventional techniques while offering unique solutions that are not necessarily in immediate acceptance by our industry. Progress requires progress, and RMO prides itself on an outstanding 75+ year history of unconventional yet extremely successful alternative thinking.