Three out of four general dentists think it is appropriate for general practitioners (GPs) to perform orthodontics, but only 4% of orthodontists surveyed agreed, according to a poll conducted by The Wealthy Dentist.
"Case selection is critical and should be based upon the knowledge and skill of the GP," said a Florida dentist who responded to the survey.
A prosthodontist survey argued, "With proper training, any GP should be able to perform any procedure, whether it is endo, ortho, dental implants, etc."
However, 41% of the orthodontists surveyed say they are the ones who should be doing virtually all orthodontic work.
"Every orthodontist is being asked to help bail out GP cases, as they often underestimate the complexity of cases or are tackling more complex cases than they should due to economic pressures," said one California orthodontist.
