A Profile of Orthodontic Treatment in the General Dental Service in Scotland 1979–1987

Abstract

The study casts and records of two samples of patients who had received orthodontic treatment involving the use of appliances within the General Dental Service (GDS) in Scotland during 1979/81 and 1986/87 were examined to study the pattern of treatment, and to determine whether there had been any change over this period. Both samples contained a wide range of malocclusions which were treated mostly with removable appliances. Although few fixed appliances were used and few lower arch treatments were carried out there was a trend towards a greater use of these appliances and an increase in these treatments in 1986/87 compared with 1979/81. There was no change in the infrequent use of headgear while functional appliances were used in only six of the treatments in the 1986/87 sample as compared to none in the 1979/81 sample. In the more recent sample many more treatments were undertaken by ‘specialist’ General Dental Practitioners (i.e. those who work in the GDS, but limit their practice to orthodontics) and fewer treatments were undertaken under the direction of a Consultant Orthodontist.