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The public perception of the differences between specialist orthodontists and general dentists: A comparison between
Morgan Wishney1, Idil Burt2, Tarek Pirgul2
1Faculty of Medicine and Health, Department of Orthodontics, Discipline of Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Sydney Dental Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Introduction:
In Australia and Sweden, orthodontic treatments may be performed by either a general dental practitioner (GDP) or a specialist orthodontist. Evidence suggests that the public may easily confuse a GDP who provides orthodontic treatment with a specialist orthodontist. We conducted a survey of people in Australia and Sweden to assess their understanding of the differences between a specialist orthodontist and a GDP who provides orthodontic treatments.
Methods:
The sample comprised 2006 Australian adults and 1010 Swedish adults who completed an online questionnaire. The survey examined the respondents' understanding of the difference between a GDP and a specialist orthodontist. Demographic data and the respondents' preference concerning future practitioner type were also collected.
Results:
Although most of the responses between the countries were different with statistical significance (P <0.001), many similarities in the responses were observed. More than 90% of the respondents in both countries did not know the difference between a GDP who provides orthodontic treatment and a specialist orthodontist. Almost 75% believed that a specialist orthodontist was the most qualified practitioner to perform orthodontic treatment. Fewer than 10% of the respondents preferred to see a GDP for orthodontic treatment over a specialist. These people tended to be male, have less education, and be younger. Cost was identified as an important factor in choosing an orthodontic practitioner, particularly in the Australian sample.
Conclusions:
The clear majority of both Australian and Swedish respondents were unable to identify the difference between a specialist orthodontic and a GDP who provides orthodontic treatments.
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