European community legislation concerning schools of specialisation in orthodontics: the inexplicable inertia of Italy--contradictions and open issues.
Orthodontics was the first discipline to be acknowledged as such within the field of dentistry, initially in the USA and subsequently in Europe. The structural changes that led to the birth of the European Union (EU) laid the foundations for the free circulation of professions and services. Nevertheless a deep discrepancy in the quality of training of practitioners from different countries became apparent. It was necessary to address this issue and regulate the training process in order to guarantee a degree of uniformity. Up to this time only the duration of the School of Specialisation in Orthodontics has been set at a minimum of three years. While moving towards an increasing degree of integration of the various EU countries, it becomes paramount to be able to establish a School of Specialisation in Orthodontics with high academic standards based on the Erasmus Programme and above all to be able to award a specialisation degree which is acknowledged first of all in the country where it is issued and also on a wider European level. Freedom of circulation of intellectual activities requires the formal acknowledgement of a qualification, namely the Specialisation in Orthodontics. Also to that end, EFOSA (European Federation of Specialists in Orthodontics) was founded. Furthermore the European Community has, in the meantime, ruled that medical trainees should be remunerated for their work. Dentistry and its specialisations should not follow the model of Medicine given that the two are completely distinct, but many believe that the duration of the School of Specialisation in Orthodontics has to be set as the same as the medical specialisations.
Maino
B Giuliano
BG
School of Specialization in Maxillofacial Surgery at Parma University, Vicenza, Italy. vicenza@mainog.com
Cabrini
Cesare
C
D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000592:standards; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors