Performance Measures for Growth Modification Appliances

Increased demands for quality care reflect the importance assigned by contemporary society to health, esthetics, and value for money. These demands have particular relevance for “elective ” orthodontics, in which variations in the design and timing of appliances prescribed for seemingly analogous skeletal Class II discrepancies and other forms of malocclusion conflict with accepted standards of accountability. The development of strategies to reduce or eliminate these inconsistencies, however, depends on the use of objective measures to evaluate their differential performances, costs, and risks. Since such measures will ensure that the “standards ” of orthodontic practice match those for other forms of health care, their development is integral to the integrity of the profession.