Current Products and Practice An audit of the current consent practices of consultant orthodontists in the UK

Objective: To collect information on the current consent practices of consultant orthodontists for orthodontic and joint orthognathic treatment. Design: Postal questionnaire. Subjects and Methods: The questionnaire was sent to all 222 consultant orthodontists held on the database of the British Orthodontic Society. The questionnaire consisted of five multi-part questions requiring tick-box responses. Outcome: A total of 199 questionnaires were returned. Results: Written information on orthodontic treatment was provided by 56 per cent of respondents whilst 41 per cent obtained written consent. Written information on joint orthognathic treatment was provided by 47.5 per cent of respondents, whilst 20 per cent obtained joint written consent. Most who obtained written consent for orthodontics and joint orthognathic treatment used 16 years as an appropriate age for patients to provide their own consent. Conclusions: Consent practice amongst consultant orthodontists varies, with 35 per cent pro-viding neither written information nor seeking written consent prior to orthodontic or joint orthognathic treatment