title: What is the value of orthodontic treatment?
abstract: Orthodontic treatment is as popular as ever. Orthodontists frequently have long lists of people wanting treatment and the cost to the NHS in England was £258m in 2010-2011 (approximately 10% of the NHS annual spend on dentistry). It is important that clinicians and healthcare commissioners constantly question the contribution of interventions towards improving the health of the population. In this article, the authors outline some of the evidence for and against the claims that people with a malocclusion are at a disadvantage compared with those without a malocclusion and that orthodontic treatment has significant health benefits. The authors would like to point out that this is not a comprehensive and systematic review of the entire scientific literature. Rather the evidence is presented in order to stimulate discussion and debate.
authors: Academic Unit of Oral Health and Development, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, S10 2TA.
authors: P E
authors: PE
authors: Benson
authors: Academic Unit of Oral Health and Development, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, S10 2TA.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Javidi
authors: Orthodontic Department, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3NG.
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: DiBiase
mesh_terms: D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D009057:Stomatognathic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006113:United Kingdom