A FIELD TRIAL OF AN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEED LEARNING PACKAGE FOR GENERAL DENTAL PRACTITIONERS

Objective To evaluate whether GDPs using an Index of Orthodontic Treat ment Need (IOTN) learning package in a practice setting referred (or t reated) more patients with a definite need for orthodontic treatment. Design A randomised controlled trial. Subjects and methods 20 GDPs (te st group) used the package when selecting patients for orthodontic car e during normal dental practice. A control group of 20 GDPs did not us e the package. Over a 12-month period impressions were taken by the pa rticipating GDPs of all patients selected for orthodontic treatment, e ither referred to another practitioner or to be treated by the GDP. Ma in outcome measure IOTN used by two expert examiners. Results Among th e patients selected for orthodontic treatment by the test group there were more patients with a definite objective need for orthodontic trea tment (78.1% versus 62.5% in the control group). After adjustment for potential confounding variables, the odds on a patient selected by a t est group dentist being in definite need were 2.24 (95% CI 1.25, 4.01) more than the odds on a patient selected by a control group dentist ( P = 0.007). Conclusions Use of the IOTN learning package by GDPs would reduce the proportion of patients selected for orthodontic treatment with low or moderate objective need.