Orthodontists’ Perception of the Decline in Use of Headgear

Methods: An e-mail survey was administered to randomly chosen orthodontists (n=1000) to explore current trends and opinions related to HG use.

Results: 948 out of 1000 orthodontists participated in the study. 60% of orthodontists indicated that they were using HG in their practice. Those who were not using HG listed the availability of better alternatives and the lack of patient compliance as reasons. 1% of these orthodontists who do not use HG indicated “fear of losing patients” as the main reason. However, 25% of these orthodontists who don’t use HG also stated that they would consider other types of appliances due to fear of losing patients to another orthodontist who does not use HG. 47% of those orthodontists who do not use HG consider patient perception of their practice as influential in not choosing this treatment modality. There was statistically significant differences (p<0.0001) between the orthodontists who use and who do not use HG when it came to the reason behind their treatment choice. Of those who use HG, 24% indicated that this is because HG was taught and emphasized in their residency. Of those who do not use HG, 22% reported that this is the case because they learned about other Class II correctors in the CE courses that they have taken.

Conclusions: The majority of orthodontists still feel that HG is a viable treatment option and overall they “perceive” that its use has stayed relatively the same among other orthodontists in the same area.