Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Studying Orthodontic Tooth Movement in Mice
Published on: August 2, 2024
Orthodontic manpower requirements of Trinidad and Tobago
1Child Dental Health Unit, School of Dentistry, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. compton.bourne@sta.uwi.edu
Objective:
A study was done to estimate the orthodontic manpower requirements of Trinidad and Tobago.
Methods:
A questionnaire was administered via e-mail to 9 of 11 orthodontists. Information from a population census, a report on the orthodontic treatment needs of children in Trinidad and Tobago and this questionnaire were used to calculate the number of orthodontists and chairside orthodontic assistants needed in Trinidad and Tobago.
Results:
On average, 50 per cent of the 289 patients treated by each orthodontist in Trinidad and Tobago annually are children. Approximately, 13 360 patients can be expected to demand orthodontic treatment every year in this country. The number of orthodontists and chairside assistants required to treat these patients was estimated to be 44 and 154, respectively.
Conclusions:
Currently, Trinidad and Tobago only has a quarter of the number of orthodontists and orthodontic chairside assistants required to treat the number of patients in need. As the demand is relatively high in Trinidad and Tobago and the number of orthodontists has increased slowly and inadequately for the past decade, the orthodontists are likely to remain adequately employed and happy with their job unlike dentists who are currently in private practice for less than a year.
Related Concept Videos
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Space Trusses: Problem Solving
Consider a tripod consisting of a tetrahedral space truss with a ball-and-socket joint at C. Suppose the height and lengths of the horizontal and vertical...
Oxygen Delivering System III: Tracheostomy and T-piece
Tracheostomy
A tracheostomy is a surgically created opening (stoma) in the anterior part of the trachea. It is used to establish a patient airway, bypass an upper airway obstruction, simplify the removal of secretions, permit long-term...
Oxygen Delivering System II: Venturi Mask and Transtracheal Oxygen
Venturi Mask
The Venturi mask, named after the Venturi effect, is designed to deliver precise oxygen concentrations. It consists of a large tube with an oxygen inlet that narrows down, causing a pressure drop that pulls air in through adjustable side ports. The mask is a lightweight,...
Space Trusses
At the core of a space truss lies the fundamental unit known as the tetrahedron. This structure is composed of six members that form a three-dimensional shape...
