Interproximal Reduction of Teeth: Differences in Opinions Between Orthodontists and Dentists

Objectives: To determine if orthodontists and general dentists share similar beliefs regarding interproximal reduction (IPR) of teeth in conjunction with orthodontic treatment.
Methods: An electronic survey containing statements about interproximal reduction of teeth was developed and distributed to orthodontists and general dentists across the United States.
Results: General dentists were more likely to perform post-IPR polishing and topical fluoride application than orthodontists. A greater percentage of orthodontists than general dentists strongly believe that the esthetic and occlusal benefits of IPR outweigh the potential risk of tooth decay where IPR was performed (P<.0001). A greater percentage of orthodontists also strongly agreed that IPR is a minimally invasive procedure that poses little risk for the development of interproximal decay and expressed a strong willingness to have IPR performed on their own teeth. More orthodontists strongly agreed with being comfortable performing IPR on most patients to gain arch length. While more orthodontists prefer performing IPR on anterior teeth over posterior teeth, general dentists responded neutrally. More general dentists were hesitant to perform IPR despite research supporting that IPR has little negative effect on the health of teeth.
Conclusions: The results of this study highlighted differing opinions between orthodontists and general dentists regarding the interproximal reduction of teeth in conjunction with orthodontic treatment. General dentists are more conservative in their views of IPR and are less comfortable with performing IPR as a routine procedure. General dentists feel more strongly about the importance of post-IPR polishing and applying topical fluoride. Orthodontists were more likely to have researched the long term effects of IPR on the health of teeth and therefore reported being more comfortable performing IPR during orthodontic treatment and less likely to perform post-IPR polishing and topical fluoride application.