The role of the general practitioner and the orthodontist in the provision of orthodontic care.

Orthodontics is a small branch of dentistry but one of the oldest and most widespread of dental specialties. It is characterized by long-term treatment objectives which are related to dentofacial morphology and function, growth, facial balance and maturation. Owing to the lack of baseline data it has not been included in the recommendations of the FDI for a stepwise procedure towards 'Health for All by the Year 2000'. Serious efforts should be made to allow inclusion of orthodontics by overcoming this data problem. It is strongly recommended that an internationally acceptable index for orthodontic purposes at the community level be developed. Problems of integration of orthodontic services within oral health care programmes are most significant at medium resource levels when priorities have to be established among many highly desirable dental services. In upper resource levels with less caries and periodontal disease than before the general practitioner should be aware of the rapidly increasing needs for service among elderly people due to improved oral health in adults. For the sake of efficiency, control and quality orthodontic treatment should preferably be carried out by appropriately educated orthodontists, even if the case appears simple in the beginning. Simple cases treated by specialists consume fewer resources than are needed for a system of effective communication and delegation to the general practitioner. Continuing education of all practitioners and other members of the dental team should be carried out in personnel categories and across the boundaries between them.