Orthodontics in the Swedish Public Dental Health Service.

During the fifties the Swedish Public Dental Health Services created a number of specialist posts limited to the treatment of orthodontics. At present (1974) there are 138 orthodontists working full-time within the service in 64 clinics. It is estimated that 11 per cent of the total number of children in the age range 7–16 years require specialist orthodontist attention and in order to be able to provide this treatment it is calculated that Sweden needs 340 orthodontists; this would give a ratio of one orthodontist to approximately 3,500 children. Treatment priority is estimated using a four grade Priority Index compiled by the Swedish Orthodontic Society and the Medical Board and the primary objective is to treat extreme disabling malocclusions which correspond to groups 4 and 3 in the Priority Index.