The German Bundesrechnungshof, the external financial control for the German government, writes in his annual report (Spring report No. 09) – Urgent need to study the utility of orthodontic treatment: “The statutory health insurance funds spend more than €1 billion annually on orthodontic treatment.

In particular, lacking orthodontic care research gives rise to doubts about whether health insurance funds provide adequate, useful and cost-effective orthodontic treatment. We recommended collecting data on and objectively analysing information about orthodontic treatments, treatment needs and objectives as well as quality indicators and quality checks.”