Orthodontic care in an insured population in Washington: demographic factors

Few studies have used insurance claims data to investigate demographic factors related to orthodontic care. This study sought to describe age and sex distributions in a large, insured population in Washington. Additionally, the demand for orthodontic care was evaluated with respect to county population, and the impact of the availability of orthodontists was investigated. All orthodontic claims in 2001 were retrieved from the Washington Dental Service database, along with associated provider and patient information. A total of 102,984 claims were included in this study. A large percentage of subjects (86%) were less than 20 years old, with most patients in their early teens. Overall, about 64% of all orthodontic patients were female. The demand for orthodontic treatment was the highest in the counties with the largest populations. Although there was considerable variation in the data, the number of orthodontic claims submitted by general dentists tended to decline as the availability of orthodontists increased.