Current status of clinical orthodontics in European and American countries

Abstract

Current status of clinical orthodontics in European and American countries was examined by means of a questionnaire survey through internet. In the European and American countries, most popular technique in daily orthodontic practice is preadjusted straight wire edgewise technique. In major developed countries in Europe and America, the treatment fee is considerably high, whereas the fee is relatively low in the countries under development and/or after economic crisis. Rate of non-extraction treatment among all the cases treated with multi-bracket appliances is significantly higher in Europe and America than in Asia except in a few countries. In the European and American countries, treatment system for jaw deformity patients is well developed with higher availability of the social health insurance than in Asia. The maximum CLP prevalence of 0.200 is found in Germany and Austria and the mean is around 0.140 or one to 700 births. In general, CLP treatment is covered by social health insurance in European and American countries. In Europe and America, lingual orthodontic technique has not become popular because patients never want to hide orthodontic appliance. Higher cost of lingual appliance and lack in information and technical skills may be the reasons of less frequent use of lingual appliance. Many interviewees replied that usage of TADs has not become so popular in USA and Canada as compared to that in Asia. In another word, the initial fascination with TADs wore off and are now used in selected patients as needed. This may be due to more harmonious maxillofacial structure with longer and wider dentitions in Caucasians which also results in higher rate of non-extraction treatment with multibracket appliances in European and American countries.