Personal audit in orthodontics

The use of different criteria to assess outcome of orthodontic treatment makes it difficult to compare treatment from one individual practitioner to the next. This article describes a method for all dentists to use to record outcome for self-audit purposes. A sample of 51 consecutively treated patients was assessed. On average, the mean percentage reduction in PAR score was 74 per cent. Eight per cent of patients were categorized as 'Worse or no different', 39 per cent 'Improved' and 53 per cent 'Greatly improved'. To achieve a good standard of orthodontic treatment it is proposed that the mean percentage reduction in PAR score should be greater than 70 per cent. The proportion of patients falling into the 'Worse or no different' category should ideally be less than 5 per cent.