Orthodontic extraction practices: a cross-sectional survey of orthodontists in Australia
Data publikacji: 06 lip 2022
Zakres stron: 227 - 236
Otrzymano: 01 sty 2022
Przyjęty: 01 lut 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-2022-0013
© 2022 Maurice J. Meade et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Objective
To survey Australian-based orthodontists regarding their opinions on their extraction practices.
Method
A pilot-tested electronic-questionnaire was distributed to 465 members of the Australian Society of Orthodontists. Questions pertained to their demographic details, current extraction rates, changes in prescribed orthodontic extraction patterns over the past 5 to 10 years and the factors that may have influenced decisions.
Results
A response rate of 35.05% was recorded. Orthodontists estimated that they extracted permanent teeth in 21.03% and 22.06% of recently treated adults and children/adolescents presenting with a Class I malocclusion. Respondents were less comfortable carrying out non-extraction treatment in child/adolescent patients (15.4%) than in adult patients (34.7%) when crowding was greater than 6 mm. Most orthodontists (55.89%) who had practiced for more than 5 years believed that the number of patients that were treated by extractions was unchanged over the past 5 to 10 years while 34.55% believed that the proportion had decreased. More experienced orthodontists tended to report increased rather than decreased extraction rates (
Conclusions
Orthodontists extracted permanent teeth in just over 20% of their patients who presented with a Class I malocclusion. Most orthodontists considered that their extraction rates had not changed over the past 5 to 10 years. The increased use of IPR with or without arch lengthening procedures, was reported by those whose extraction rates had decreased over the same time period.