EFFECTIVENESS OF A PERSONALIZED REFERRAL LETTER FOLLOWING ORTHODONTICSCREENING

No data exist on the usefulness of orthodontic screening in guiding th ose children who need orthodontic treatment towards professional advic e. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a personalised referral l etter following an orthodontic screening programme employing an object ive measure of treatment need, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Out of a total sample of 924 children aged 11-12 yr, 201 were in need of orthodontic treatment and no orthodontic treatment was pla nned. From this subsample test and control groups matched for sex, soc io-economic background, dental disease and aesthetic impairment were c reated. Following screening, the parents of the test group only were s ent a specific orthodontic referral letter. The dental practitioners o f the children in the test and control groups were contacted during a follow-up investigation carried out 8 months later, this revealed that significantly more children entered orthodontic treatment pathways fr om the test groups. This study demonstrated that a screening programme , using IOTN is a screening test, and a referral procedure which provi ded parents with specific information were successful in guiding over one third of children with a need for orthodontic treatment towards or thodontic advice.