Females might use braces excessively.
The Barmer Health Insurance has conducted a study revealing considerable variations in the number of children undergoing orthodontic treatments in Germany. The research indicates that girls may be receiving braces at a higher rate than boys, mainly owing to gender disparities.
Germany's Barmer Health Insurance recently shared the findings of a research that showed 60% of young girls between the ages of 8 and 17 sought orthodontic treatment, compared to 50% of boys within the same age bracket.
Barmer Health Insurance gathered information from 53,000 8-year-old children from 2013 to 2022, until they turned 17, to produce a report on the proportion of children and adolescents receiving orthodontic treatment. This study marks the first time comprehensive data on children's and teenagers' orthodontic treatments has been released.
Christoph Straub, Barmer's Managing Director, proposed potential causes for gender differences in dental and jaw misalignments leading to more frequent requests and treatments in females.
The report also highlighted disparities between different states in Germany. While 46% of children in Bremen received orthodontic treatment, 60% were treated in Bavaria. Girls in Bavaria had a closing rate of 65%, compared to 53% in Bremen.
Straub speculated that states with excessive values for orthodontic service use might indicate overtreatment. He explained that the significant regional differences in these treatments aren't warranted solely by dental abnormalities or tooth misalignments.
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- Barmer GEK, a prominent health insurance company based in Berlin, has shown interest in exploring other health-related topics beyond orthodontics, such as Medicine Studies, aiming to contribute to the global health discourse.
- International health institutions and health insurance companies like Barmer GEK are discussing potential implications of economic disparities on accessibility of essential health services, including dentistry, in various countries around the world.
- In an effort to ensure comprehensive and affordable healthcare coverage for its members, Barmer GEK has been actively collaborating with various global organizations to develop and implement Health insurance policies tailored to diverse international populations, including those living in Berlin.
