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Meet Dr. Bill Harrell

Dr. Harrell knew he wanted to be an orthodontist since he was 12 years old, when he had braces. Unlike the modern options, we have today—from clear aligners to Invisible aligners/braces to glow-in-the-dark braces—he had a mouth full of old-fashioned metal bands and looped wires. As a teenage tinkerer, young Bill was keen to see how his braces worked. Armed with a pair of pliers and a coat hanger, he made a copy of his wires to show his orthodontist on his next visit. Instead of dismissing his inquisitive patient, the wise practitioner put him in the lab with pliers and wires and let him experiment. Bill Harrell’s fate—and vocation—were sealed.

Since beginning his orthodontic practice in Alexander City, AL in 1977, Dr.

Harrell’s curiosity about ‘how things work’ has never diminished. In addition to providing superior diagnosis and treatment for traditional orthodontic conditions, Dr. Harrell has devoted most of his career to educating his peers, the public and other healthcare professionals on the importance of discovering and treating airway obstructions leading to altered growth issues in children that can cause serious health conditions later in life

Dr. Harrell is Board Certified in Orthodontics and is in the process of becoming Board Certified in Dental Sleep Medicine.

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Dr. Harrell worked to two world-wide pioneers. One was the late Dr. William Farrar, DDS, of Montgomery, AL (worked directly with Dr. Farrar from 1979-1985) the pioneer of TMJ Therapy, discovered why the TM joints click, pop, lock and cause severe pain. The other was the late Dr. Christian Guilleminault, MD, one of the “Fathers of Sleep Medicine” at Stanford University where Sleep Medicine began. Also Dr. Harrell worked directly and published articles with Dr. Stephen Schendel, MD, DDS, former Chief of Plastic Surgery at Stanford University.

We are the first practice in Alabama and in the Southeast to have 3D ConeBeam CT (CBCT) imaging, which allows us to view the “Anatomic Truth” of our patients which includes the teeth, bones of the head and neck, the TM Joints, the Airway and sinuses, and other vital structures that CANNOT be seen on traditional 2D flat images.

We are the first in the USA in private practice to include 3D face imaging which is no radiation. This allows us to have a truly accurate scan of the facial anatomy.

We are the first orthodontic practice in the USA to also include measurements of Nasal Resistance and nasal airflow by using Rhinomanometry, Acoustic Rhinometry, and Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow (PNIF). These are used to track nasal airflow changes from expansion, growth modification in children, and adult therapy as it relates to Airway and respiratory function.

We might do links to these Rhinomanometry, Acoustic Rhinometry, and Peak Nasal Inspiratory Flow (PNIF) words. See www.GM-Instruments.com

We also have 3D Intra-Oral scanning of the teeth, so WE DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE MESSY IMPRESSIONS ANYMORE.

Dr. Harrell is the Chairperson of Radsite’s Standards Committee on ConeBeam CT (CBCT) for both medicine and dentistry. This committee is tasked with developing the standards for doctors and facilities to follow for Insurance Company reimbursements. This should be released in 2023.

Dr. Harrell is also on the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Children’s Airway Screener Taskforce (CAST) tasked with developing a children’s screening questionnaire, called C-GASP, for uncovering early airway issues in children. Then deciding the best practitioner to render a more in-depth evaluation and treatment plan. This form should be filled out in the Patient Form section under Children’s Orthodontics.

Dr. Harrell has served as President, Vice-President, Secretary & Treasurer of the 9th District Dental Society of the Alabama Dental Association, The President and Vice-President of the Alabama Orthodontic Association, Twice President of the Alexander City Lake Martin Rotary Club, Served on the Board of Trustees and in the House of Delegates of the Alabama Dental Association, is Board Certified in Orthodontics, and presently working on Board Certification in Dental Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Harrell is the lead EDITOR of a Medical/Dental text book called “Growing into Breathing Problems: The Quest for Collaborative Lifetime Solutions” to be published by Springer Publishing in early 2023.

In 2023 when published we can add the link to buy the book.

Dr. Harrell has also published many articles, papers, chapters on various dental/orthodontic subjects.

Dr. Harrell lectures to residents, medical doctors, and dentists world-wide.

Dr. Harrell also is a professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Dentistry Orthodontic Department.

Snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, misdiagnosed ADHD, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are some of the side-effects of airway-related breathing problems; Dr. Harrell believes strongly that early diagnosis and treatment—especially in children—are critical to preventing these conditions later in life.

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON AMAZON

Snored to Death by Dr. David McIntosh (Pediatric ENT Australia) - Available for Purchase in AMAZON
Don’t Ignore the Snore by Dr. David McIntosh (Pediatric ENT Australia) - Available for Purchase in AMAZON
Growing into Breathing Problem by Dr. William Harrell (Springer Publishing)

However, diagnosing and treating airway conditions requires that practitioners achieve what Dr. Harrell calls “anatomical truth”—and that requires diagnostic tools that simply did not exist when he began his practice in the late 1970s. Dr. Harrell began searching for alternative devices and methods, becoming an early adopter of technology such as 3D imaging, determined to apply it to orthodontics.

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His interest in 3D imaging began around in the early 1980s on an Atari computer when a dental colleague who had been working on 3D ‘stereoscopic’ video games invited Dr. Harrell to his basement to see what he had been working on. He saw that the Atari computer was laying on its rear-end instead of sitting upright. His colleague handed him a pair of tethered liquid crystal glasses to wear and said, “watch this.” What he saw amazed him: a ‘floor’ began to rise off the computer screen; it parted and an airplane began flying around the screen sticking up off the screen like a hologram. Then he saw people walking around upright on the screen.

Dr. Harrell immediately saw the advantage of creating this type of 3D visualization for patient/parent consults, so they could see how their real 3D anatomy looks. He also knew it would also help him make more accurate diagnoses since the 3D stereoscopic images showed the depth of the 3D figures, not just a flat plane 2D image.

In 1992, Dr. Harrell filed for and was funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study the possibility of creating 3D tracings from a calibrated set of 2D lateral and frontal cephalometric images and a stereoscopic set of facial images. By using calibrated frontal and lateral cephalographs and creating epipolar lines, he could create 3D geometric lines, connecting landmarks of anatomy and determine their 3D locations in space. We were able to create a stereoscopic cephalometric tracing that could be rotated and, using the liquid crystal glasses, had visual depth.

Dr. Harrell continued to be fascinated by the whole concept of stereo/binocular vision and he intended to apply the idea of stereoscopic vision as a diagnostic tool in orthodontics. When 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) was introduced in the US in 2001, Dr. Harrell immediately recognized the potential of 3D facial imaging and 3D CBCT in improving diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes.

Dr. Harrell’s practice in Alexander City, Alabama, was the first in the state to do 3-D imaging and the first in the US to combine it with 3D facial imaging.

In addition to incorporating it into his own practice, he began speaking at industry conferences, publishing articles and chapters, presenting seminars and collaborating with colleagues across the country to promote this technology. He continued investigating and upgrading his practice’s 3D diagnostic tools and exploring ways to achieve anatomic truth in other areas such as TMJ, airway obstruction, sleep disorders, and early detection of airway biomarkers on the face. He now focuses most of his practice on educating patients, consumers, peers, and other medical professionals on the importance of early detection of airway issues and on holistic, collaborative treatment plans.

As a result of his persistent exploration and study of airway, breathing, and sleep disorders, Dr. Harrell is a recognized expert on diagnosing and treating these conditions. His motto— “Breath is Life”—is an appropriate reflection of what has become his professional and personal passion. In addition to his own practice, Dr. Harrell is actively involved in creating outreach programs designed to bring early detection, diagnosis, and treatment to communities and schools across the USA. He also consults with other health care practices about how to incorporate 3D imaging technology to address patient needs and create additional revenue streams.