Is there a tendency for professional saturation in orthodontics in Israel?

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the demand for orthodontic treatment in Israeli society, and determine the adequacy of the profession to provide service. In addition, a database of Israeli orthodontic specialist demographics will be compiled. METHODS: There is no statistical information available as to the orthodontic treatment needs and demands in Israel. Furthermore, no survey exists measuring response to orthodontics by the Israeli patient population (i.e. attitudes, treatment time etc). In order to gauge these parameters, a written questionnaire was distributed to all the orthodontists in Israel (specialists, post graduate students and dentists who have completed their orthodontic training but have not yet earned specialist certification). The survey contained questions regarding work hours (full or partial time), the numbers of orthodontic care facilities and the distance travelled to each office, the orthodontist's claim of "free time", and whether there is a desire to increase the time spent treating patients. RESULTS: A total of 89 orthodontists complied with the conditions of the study. Sixty nine (77.5%) were male, and 65 (73%) of them were certified specialists. It was found that 9% of the responding orthodontists practiced general dentistry in addition to orthodontics during at least 25% of their clinic time. A majority of the orthodontists (60/89) work in more than one office and 27% work in four or more different offices. About a quarter (25.8%) of the responding orthodontists report having less work than they desire and 16.9% of the orthodontists would like to work 10 or more additional hours per week. The majority of the orthodontists (80.9%) live in the central part of Israel and they travel long distances to work. Almost half of the offices (47.6%) are located 30 km or more away from their homes. CONCLUSIONS: The present survey indicates that the demographics within the orthodontic specialty tend towards that of professional over-supply (saturation). It was also found that the majority of the orthodontists live in the central region of Israel, therefore, travelling to satellite offices is inherently time consuming.