The Rocky Mountain^® Orthodontics (RMO^®) effort began around 1930. Since then, the company has made dramatic advances in the science of orthodontics, establishing itself as one of the leaders of a rapidly evolving field – a field that down through the decades has made people’s lives better. Since its formal incorporation in 1935 as Rocky Mountain^® Metal Products, RMO^® has been known as a company of energy and ideas – traits that remain at the core of the company’s philosophy today.

RMO^® is much more than a business and model of excellence among Colorado corporations. The company is the oldest privately held orthodontic firm in the United States, and is a Denver institution whose company history is inextricably linked with the history of Denver and orthodontics itself.

Institution and Determination

Before the advent of chrome alloy (stainless steel) and prior to the founding of RMO^®, orthodontists had to be skilled craftsmen as well as doctors. In fact, much of their time was spent devising, constructing, and maintaining their own oral appliances. Because those appliances were typically fabricated from gold alloy, which tended to loosen in a short period of time, a large part of an orthodontist’s work was dedicated to repairing and adjusting the appliances after they had been put into use.
The orthodontist’s job demanded mechanical skill, diligence, and even artistry. And yet, for all of the effort involved, the occupation was often less than rewarding. Even the best orthodontic appliances of the day were woefully limited in their effectiveness.

All that changed with the development of versatile stainless steel alloys, coupled with the ingenuity and foresight of RMO^®’s founder, Dr. Archie Brusse, a pioneer Denver orthodontist. With a small but capable staff, and with help from an executive at the American Steel and Wire Company, RMO^® set about developing the first set of prefabricated orthodontic appliance options. After much clinical research and experimentation, the first system of options was unveiled in 1933 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists. Reception was negative. Most recognized leaders of that day said it wouldn’t work.

In time, the impact of these prefabricated devices on the world of orthodontics was dramatic. Simply put, they changed the face of dentistry. The wide variety of appliance shapes and sizes supplied by RMO^® enabled orthodontists to treat a diverse array of patients more effectively.

"What was developed was a way of putting things together that provided more effective and creative options for doctors," says Martin Brusse, RMO^® Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and son of the company’s founder. "The orthodontist could employ a greater variety of different techniques through more individualized diagnosis and treatment. Patients would benefit."

These developments coincided with a period of significant progress in the science of bone biology and tooth movement, which was particularly beneficial to both RMO^® and the field of orthodontics overall. New studies were revealing the long-term ineffectiveness of oral appliances that exceeded certain thresholds of pressure in moving teeth and resetting bites. Thus, a new mantra in orthodontics – "delicacy and strength" – was born. These two qualities perfectly characterized light, clean, versatile RMO^® appliance options.

Not only did Archie Brusse and his small staff turn a fledgling depression-time start-up business into a multimillion-dollar industry bellwether, but they also helped attract dentists to the practice of orthodontics by vastly improving the quality and diversity of tools available to them. By extension, RMO^® has made invaluable contributions that have improved the oral health and self-image of countless satisfied patients.

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