Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the evidence on the long-term health and functional outcomes of orthodontic treatment involving the extraction of healthy premolar teeth.
Answer
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 7 September in response to Questions 19469 and 19470 , which sets out our approach to concerns about longer term impacts of orthodontic treatments. No central records are held of incidents relating to patients raising concerns about suffering from long-term complications following orthodontic treatment. Responsibility for commissioning specialised orthodontic services is delegated to integrated care boards, supported by guidance on standards for treatments. These include Clinical standards for dental specialties – orthodontics, published by NHS England, and the Peer Assessment Rating Index, published by the British Orthodontic Society. The documents are available at the following links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-standards-for-dental-specialties-orthodontics/ https://bos.org.uk/professionals-members/the-peer-assessment-rating-par-index/
Verdict: RED (20/100)
The question asked whether the department considers the evidence on the long-term health and functional outcomes of premolar-extraction orthodontics to be adequate. The reply does not answer that directly. It refers back to an earlier answer, states that no central incident records are held, and points to commissioning responsibilities and general service standards, which do not address the evidence base on long-term outcomes. The asker would likely need to submit a follow-up to get a clear answer.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department's assessment or view of the adequacy of the evidence on the long-term health and functional outcomes of orthodontic treatment involving the extraction of healthy premolar teeth? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never states the department's view on whether the evidence on long-term health and functional outcomes of premolar-extraction orthodontics is adequate. It refers to an earlier answer on 'longer term impacts' (statement 1), says no central incident records are held (statement 2), and points to commissioning responsibility and generic standards documents (statements 3–5). Those standards cover commissioning and service quality rather than the evidence base on long-term outcomes, so the item is only touched on indirectly. |