A profile of South African orthodontists: NOHS 1988/89

The response by orthodontists to a 1988/89 National Oral Health Survey questionnaire is reported. The 54 predominantly white male respondents reflected a balanced age distribution. The majority were in solo private practice. Almost half employed oral hygienists, 96 per cent worked between 40 and 49 weeks per year and 61 per cent worked between 35 and 44 hours per week. Half were satisfied with their busyness and the remainder were evenly divided between being too busy or not busy enough. The majority of patients were white. It is recommended that imbalances in race and gender amongst orthodontists be redressed.