Profile of the orthodontist practicing in the state of São Paulo - Part 1

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontics is no different from other sciences to the extent that it is a field in constant evolution and development. Nowadays, given the availability of a wide range of materials and biomechanical resources, as well as the development of new diagnostic capabilities, new methods to manage orthodontic treatment have emerged. Furthermore, due to the proliferation of postgraduate programs, it is increasingly important to gain insight into the profile of these specialists and the resources they use. OBJECTIVE: Examine the profile of orthodontists practicing in the State of São Paulo. The questions were prepared to evaluate different aspects of orthodontic practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 2.414 specialists in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics registered with the Regional Board of Dentistry of São Paulo State (CRO-SP). To assess the association between qualitative variables, the Chi-square association test was employed at 5% significance level. RESULTS: Five hundred ninety-three (24.65%) questionnaires were completed and returned. The sample profile consisted of males (54.3%), aged between 41 and 50 (40.5%), who had been registered with the São Paulo Regional Board of Dentistry (CRO-SP) for 6 to 10 years (29.3%). The three most widely mentioned cephalometric analyses were standard USP (71.5%), McNamara (59.2%) and Ricketts (52.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on a statistical analysis of the data one can conclude that the Straight-Wire technique was used most often (74.5%), and this technique is associated with orthodontists who have been specialists for less than 10 years. Most people surveyed (52.4%) routinely make use of functional orthopedic resources in their daily practice.