Misaligned perceptions: the dangers of the hidden curriculum in orthodontic education

Introduction

We are living in times where society seems to be largely influenced by beauty and fashion. People are becoming more aware of their appearance: which brands to wear, taking ‘selfie' photographs from many angles, resorting to cosmetic surgical and non-surgical treatments, among others. This also increases their awareness about their teeth, and often people have a misconception of reality after browsing the web or speaking to others, resulting in potentially unachievable expectations.

Unfortunately, there has been an increase in complaints, claims and regulatory cases related to the provision of orthodontic treatment (OT) recently. This trend has grown in parallel with the increase of the provision of short-term orthodontics (STO) by general dental practitioners (GDPs).1