Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
Orthodontics Case File System

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I know that my records were donated to the Maxwell Museum. What will they be used for?
A: The records that were donated will be used by orthodontic students, faculty, and researchers the world over to help with current orthodontic treatment and for research on orthodontic treatment techniques and outcomes. The vast majority of the users of this collection will have access to only the de-identified, web-based portion of the collection. Researchers who want to utilize the physical collection must first gain formal approval from the UNM Human Research Review Committee (HRRC) and the Maxwell Museum. By law, the HRRC committee is independent of the Maxwell Museum and oversees all research conducted at UNM. The purpose of the HRRC is to protect the rights of patients or in this case, the rights of the patients represented by the records Dr. Economides donated. If you have questions about this research or a concern you are not comfortable taking up with the Maxwell Museum, the UNM Human Research Review Committee can be contacted directly.

Q: I was a patient of Dr. Economides many years ago. How do I know if my records are contained in this collection?
A: Contact the Curator of the Maxwell Museum. If your records are contained in the collection, you can arrange to have them removed at any time without charge.

Q: I was a patient of Dr. Economides and I did not receive any notification that my records were being transferred to the Maxwell Museum. Shouldn’t I have received a notice?
A: Dr. Economides has kept approximately 1800 of the records for his most recent patients. If you began treatment after 1999, you would not have received a notice, and your records are not part of the Maxwell Museum collection. We sent out notifications using the last address contained in the records that were donated. If you began treatment before 1999 but did not receive notification, is possible that it was sent to you,but at an old address. (Some of the records are over 30 years old.) Contact the Curator of the Maxwell Museum if you would like to confirm whether your records are now housed at the Maxwell Museum.

Q: I am glad to know where my records are and that they are being well cared for. However, I want to have additional orthodontic treatment done and I want to give my records to my current orthodontist during my treatment but also want to support the research effort. Can I just borrow my records and then return them when I’m done with them?
A: Yes, many patients have requested their records temporarily for their current orthodontist to use for additional treatment. You can request to temporarily borrow your records. After your current orthodontist is done with them or your treatment is completed, you can return them at any time. Contact the Curator of the Maxwell Museum and let them know you only want to borrow your records.

Q: What do the race groups used in this database mean?
A: The racial categories used in this database were taken from "Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity."

-- American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
-- Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
-- Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American."
-- Hispanic or Latino. A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, "Spanish origin," can be used in addition to "Hispanic or Latino."
-- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
-- White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
For further information please see: this paper.