Orthodontic care in the Swedish Public Dental Service, county of Västerbotten.

The extent of orthodontic care provided by the children's dentist in collaboration with the specialist in the Public Dental Service in Sweden has been surveyed in a northern county (55,000 sq km, 230,000 inhabitants and a university town with 80,000 inhibitants). All (925) children born in 1962, resident in a coastal, an inland or a mountain municipality, had received regular dental care. Orthodontic treatment up to and including 1976 has been noted from their dental service records. About 35 per cent of the children in the coastal and inland areas had needed and received some form of orthodontic treatment. In the mountain area only 2/3 of the children who needed treatment had received it; this was due to shortage of specialists. The continuing needs of 102 of the patients have been registered at a follow-up examination. The treatment need of the children was used as a measure of the success rate and the need was on average low. The ability of the general practitioner to determine the right time for treatment appears good, as does the capacity for giving treatment in collaboration with the specialist. Further orthodontic training for the general practitioner is recommended in order to maintain a high level of orthodontic ability. Orthodontic facilities in the mountain area ought to be strengthened.