Free Orthodontic Consultation London Orthosmile Launches “Lunch and Learn” Initiative for General Dentists

Orthosmile has launched a “Lunch and Learn” initiative for general dentists. The aim behind this programme is to help and educate referring general dentists about the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), which is a rating system that determines who qualifies for NHS orthodontic treatment. The system is used by all orthodontists across the country to ensure that the system is as fair and unbiased as possible. Although an orthodontist needs to carry out an IOTN assessment to assess if a patient under the age of 18 qualifies for NHS orthodontic treatment; a patient’s first point of call when seeking orthodontic treatment is usually their general dentist, therefore it is of great benefit to dentists and patients alike for dentists to be made as confident as possible about the NHS guidelines.

Our principal orthodontist and founder Dr Alimadadian has been visiting practices and hosting dentists at our locations during lunchtimes and after working hours, providing them with verifiable CPD whilst presenting on IOTN. All dental professionals must complete verifiable CPD throughout the year, in order to keep their knowledge and skills as a dental professional up to date. CPD contributes to improved patient care and ensures that dental professionals have the tools needed to meet and maintain high professional standards.

The feedback from dentists have been overwhelming positive, with many expressing their gratitude at the clarification the initiative has brought them and their patients, and the fact that their referral process has now been streamlined. Orthosmile provides free IOTN assessments to all patients, with the added benefit of no waiting lists, and all patients that are eligible for NHS treatment will always be referred to an NHS orthodontist.

A great takeaway from the sessions was making dentists aware that early interceptive orthodontics is something that can be of great benefit to many patients. It is now recommended by the British Orthodontic Society that children are assessed as early as seven, which is earlier than current assessment for orthodontic treatment under the NHS, who wait until a child’s adult teeth have come through. The benefit is that problems can be addressed earlier in a child’s development, when they are easier and less time consuming to manage, interceptive orthodontics may significantly reduce the complexity of that may need to be done at a later stage.

If you are a dentist that would like to take part in our “Lunch and Learn” initiative please get in touch with a member of the team at the most convenient location for you: