Abstract
Orthodontic faculty was unavailable in most of the countries during the early periods of the twentieth century. In the United States, orthodontic was considered as a luxury. Later, the value of orthodontic treatment increased among the residents of the United States since most of the people started appreciating it. It is this appreciation of the treatment that consequently increased the need for orthodontic treatment. Therefore, the number of individuals who needed orthodontic services increased. This rise in number of individuals, who needed the orthodontic services, consequently resulted in the need for more specialists in this department.
Introduction
The Need for orthodontic programs
There are a number of factors that have enhanced the increase in demand of orthodontic graduate programs. The following are some of these factors: First it can be argued that the recent appreciation by the United States residents on the value of orthodontic treatment has influenced the increase number of patients in need for this service (Graber, Vanarsdall and Vig 188). This has then consequently resulted in the need for more specialists in the treatment institutions. It is then noted that these specialists who are needed, must then obtain quality education from the institutions in order to provide quality services when they take up the positions as the orthodontic specialists. This therefore implies that the acceptance and appreciation of orthodontic treatment by the United States residents resulted in demand increase in orthodontic programs. It is therefore this increase in demand for treatment that necessitated the need for training more orthodontists in the education institutions thus consequently resulting in another need for more educators (National Library of medicine 97).
The other factor that has led to increase in demand for the orthodontic programs in learning institutions in the U.S is the existence of vacant positions. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) survey, there is at least one vacant position for every 35 percent of orthodontic graduate programs. This therefore implied that the number of individuals pursuing orthodontic programs had to increase in order to fill these vacant positions (U.S Department of Labor 503).
Factors affecting faculty recruiting in orthodontic programs
Even though the number of orthodontic programs and students has risen in the institutions, the orthodontic profession has experienced a number of shortcomings. Some of these limitations include shortage of orthodontic educators (Cope 30). This has resulted from lack of full-time educators of in many orthodontic institutions. This lack of full time orthodontist practitioners further led to provision of low quality services in orthodontic residency programs (Kharbanda 237).
The other factor is the inadequacy of enough personnel to replace the old and retiring orthodontic educators (Smith, Park & Cederberg 102). It is evident that Education institutions have found it difficult in getting the replacements for the old age orthodontic specialists who retire from the institutions. The other limitation towards provision of quality orthodontic program is the financial one. Some faculty members have argued that financial problems have made it difficult for their institution to provide quality services as their private colleagues thus leading to poor quality of services compared to the private sector (Chan, Soh, Petocz & Darendeliler 527)
Measures taken to tackle the problems associated with orthodontic programs
Following the problems experienced in both the recruitment and retention of orthodontic educators, there are a number of measures that has been put in place to tackle them. One of the measures that have been taken by some faculty members includes utilization of some part time orthodontic practitioners from the community to occupy some vacant positions (Burkhe 598). This way, the faculty has to some extent tackled the issue of educator shortage. The other measure that the faculty has initiated with the help of the American Association of Orthodontist (AAO) is the implementation of distance learning programs. The distance learning program has necessitated the interaction between universities within the United States and the world at large. This interaction has then in turn made it possible for the few available educators to reach a number of learners in a wider geographical area within a shorter time (Beckenbach 1). In long term solution, the faculty members are working on how to come up with ways that can help in fostering academic careers in the respective institutions. It is believed that these ways of promoting academic careers can be achieved through provision of loan towards academic services, conducting better research and academic training, providing time for private faculty, increasing benefits that would enhance fellowships promotion thus necessitating the training of educators in future. (Cope 26).
Limitations of the measures taken in handling the shortage of orthodontic educators
The measures taken so far to handle the shortage of orthodontist educators might have impacted positively to the society but still there are a number of limitations associated with them. For instance, the issue of distance learning has a number of limitations as much as it might appear effective (Bruner 67). The first limitation might be evident with regards to the channels used in the delivery of the distance learning. Taking an example of an email, it is clear that it cannot be as effective as the knowledge delivered to the learner face to face (Kharbanda 237). As a result of this, the learners might eventually result into poor orthodontics specialists.
Conclusion
It can then be argued that the number of individuals who are in need of orthodontic treatment has risen recently in the whole world due to the fact that most of the public has stood up to appreciate the value of this treatment (Beckenbach 1). This factor then impacts the increase in the number of people who are in need of the orthodontic treatment. The increase in dental patients which has appeared to be radical seemed to have overcome the orthodontist specialist manpower hence the need for more specialists in this field. It is this factor that has catalysed the need for more orthodontic practitioners and educators to help in treating and educating their clients respectively. It has also been noted that these current practitioners and educators of orthodontic might leave a wide gap in the next ten years when their retirement age is reached. This factor has also exposed the need for educating and recruiting more orthodontists to help in preventing the anticipated orthodontists’ shortage in the near future.
Works Cited
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