Audit on the severity of treatment need of the patients currently treated

For many years now, there has been speculation that the government plans to restrict NHS funding for orthodontic treatment to the patients who are most in need of treatment. If this rationing were implemented, the remaining patients would either have to accept their more minor malocclusions or pay for orthodontic treatment themselves.

Of the many indices designed to measure orthodontic treatment need, the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) has been the most widely accepted. It measures treatment need in terms of both dental health and appearance. We looked at the records of 1358 consecutive patients starting treatment to determine the severity of their treatment need using this index.

65% of patients fell into the highest categories of treatment need from a dental health perspective (IOTN DHC 4 and 5). Of the remaining malocclusions treated, another 14% fell into the higher categories of treatment need from an aesthetic perspective (IOTN AC 6-10). This means overall that 79% of the NHS patients we currently treat would still qualify for NHS funding under the proposed new system. This reassures us that we are providing a necessary service and that it will continue as it is for most patients even if the government does decide to restrict access to NHS orthodontic treatment.