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I proposed a simple concept that “for the best treatment outcome, some patients need nonextraction treatment, some need extractions, and the key goal of diagnosis is gathering data on which to base this decision, not on which bracket to use.” Implicit in this “gathering data” would be new scientific research, including TADs and so on, but ignoring past scientific evidence isn't prudent. I proposed a simple concept that “for the best treatment outcome, some patients need nonextraction treatment, some need extractions, and the key goal of diagnosis is gathering data on which to base this decision, not on which bracket to use.” Implicit in this “gathering data” would be new scientific research, including TADs and so on, but ignoring past scientific evidence isn't prudent. Extraction and evidence-based decision makingAmerican Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial OrthopedicsVol. 134Issue 1PreviewThe March 2008 issue contained a special article by Dr Jack Burrow entitled “To extract or not to extract: A diagnostic decision, not a marketing decision” (Burrow SJ. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2008;133:341-2). It is rare (thankfully) to see an article in the AJO-DO that appears to rise to such a vituperative level; I hope that was more my perception of this article than what Dr Burrow would intentionally promote, although the passion was evident, and the first paragraph was more than a little warm to the touch. Full-Text PDF