Provision of orthodontic care by Dentists in Canada and Certified Orthodontists' perspectives
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Date
2015-06-25
Authors
Aucoin, Marc Olivier
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Abstract
In order to obtain perspectives of Canadian dentists on the quality of the undergraduate education received in orthodontics and the extent of orthodontic services provided, a descriptive survey was constructed.
Methods
An anonymous, web-based survey was created using Survey Monkey® (Palo Alto, USA), and distributed to registered dentists in Canada via links in newsletters and mass emails.
Results
There were 427 respondents. Results showed that 71% of dentists provide some orthodontic treatment, and 33% of them offered only space maintainers. A total of 23% treated most of their patients requiring interceptive treatment, compared to 15% for those requiring comprehensive treatment. A driving time greater than 1 hour to the closest orthodontist resulted in a 16% increase in the provision of orthodontic treatment by the general dentists. The undergraduate orthodontic education was deemed above average by 21.4% to 50.5% of the respondents.
Conclusions
The percentage of dentists currently providing orthodontic services to their patients is similar to previous reports. A driving time of more than 1 hour is an influencing factor on the provision of orthodontic treatment by Canadian general dentists. The quality of undergraduate orthodontic education provided has improved over the last 25 years, although some amelioration may be beneficial.
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Keywords
provision of orthodontic treatment, general dental practitioners, distance to the nearest orthodontist, undergraduate orthodontic education, agreement on case difficulty, agreement on selection of treatment modalities