About our Foundation

For over 50 years the Charles H. Tweed Foundation has assisted graduate orthodontic students, graduate university orthodontic programs, and orthodontists in private practice by sharing its technical, financial, scientific and philosophical resources. The 600 member Charles H. Tweed Foundation is growing.

Purposes of the Foundation

  1. To promote excellence in orthodontics consistent with the traditions and orthodontic philosophies of Dr. Charles H. Tweed.
  2. To pursue the aims, intents and purposes of the Corporation as outlined in the articles of incorporation.
  3. To assist graduate orthodontic students, graduate university orthodontic programs and orthodontists in private practice thorough the sharing of technical, financial, scientific and philosophical resources of the Foundation.

Regular membership in the Foundation is availible open to all serious orthodontists who have participated in the Tweed Study Course. Approximately one-third of our members are from North America. Over seventy percent of the American members are certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. Over ninety percent of the american members of our teaching staff are board certified. The Foundation encourages its members, and particularly the members of the teaching staff, to participated in University teaching programs. At the present time 35 of over 60 staff members teach in graduate orthodontic programs in their respective countries. These clinicians teach the force system technology in these graduate programs which is taught at the Tweed Study Course in Tucson.

The Foundation has a loan program which has been designed to assist university graduate students to participate in the Tweed Study Course. Every American or Canadian student is eligible for a loan of up to $2,000.00. The university graduate student must initiate repayment within one year of graduation. The loan is made at 8% simple interest, compounded annually. The Foundation has dispensed over $100,000.00 in loans in the past two years alone. Additionally it has donated $25,000.00 to the A.A.O.F. to enhance research in American Universities. The Foundation has also made contributions to individual orthodontic departments in the United States.

Foundation members are encouraged to submit clinical material for publication in scientific journals. In the last three years over 50 scientific articles have been prepared by Foundation members for publication in various scientific journals around the world.

The Foundation has no commercial affiliation, and it receives no remuneration from any orthodontic supply company. It is totally independent of all commercially oriented marketing promotions.

The Tweed Foundation encourages all its members and all other orthodontic groups to pursue clinical research to improve our knowledge and skill. We are currently advocating independent performance testing of all technology and encouraging serious study of long time stability.

The Tweed Foundation is proud to be a part of the AAO and WPO. It is our hope that the Foundation will continue to significantly contribute to the care that is given to orthodontic patients throughout America and the rest of the world by virtue of its members' participation in the AAO, WPO, the SFODF, and the Japanese Orthodontic Association, SIDO, and in all other specialty orthodontic associations that contribute to our specialty.

The Foundation encourages its members in each part of the world to have "study club" meetings which are designed to stimulate members and to help the young orthodontist. Many countries have a "country association" which meets on an annual basis. Every two years the Foundation holds a Biennial meeting for its members. The Biennial meeting features clinical presentations by members and invited clinicians. Each member who attends the Biennial meeting brings three case reports for review and study. The case display is always the highlight of each international meeting.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Charles H. Tweed International Foundation is to promote excellence in orthodontic treatment consistent with the personal traditions, professional ethics, and orthodontic philosophy of Dr. Charles H. Tweed.

To accomplish this mission, the orthodontic clinician must pursue seven objectives of orthodontic treatment. These seven objectives are:

    Positioning and arrangement of the teeth:
  1. For maximum facial esthetics.
  2. For maximum functional efficiency.
  3. For a healthy and esthetic dental relationship.
  4. For long term stability.
  5. For enhancement of the favorable growth pattern and help with compensation for those patterns that are not normal.
  6. So that a continual state of maximum environmental harmony exists.
  7. All orthodontic care must be rendered in an ethical, moral and compassionate manner.