The Role of Extended-Duties Orthodontic Nurses and Therapists in Delivering Oral Hygiene Instruction and Impression-Taking Clinics in a Specialist Orthodontic Practice

Abstract

Provision of orthodontic care is increasingly the remit of a highly skilled and qualified team, led by a specialist orthodontist. Often separate patient clinics are held in specialist practice for oral hygiene instruction and for impression taking. These tasks are increasingly delivered, under prescription from the specialist orthodontist, by orthodontic nurses (ON) with appropriate post-registration training and/or orthodontic therapists (OT). Nurse or therapist-led clinics can be beneficial in stimulating patient co-operation, enhance both practice efficiency and staff involvement and maximise the patient experience.