Bartłomiej Chmielowiec's office said it is conducting proceedings against providers accused of violating patients’ collective rights and has already issued initial decisions ordering clinics to stop unlawful practices.
In a statement, the Ombudsman described orthotropics as a controversial approach within orthodontics that claims to guide facial growth, open upper airways, and correct malocclusion (misaligned bite) in minors during periods of rapid growth.
The office said the method is not recognized by the scientific community and is potentially dangerous.
Orthotropics is not taught in undergraduate dental programs in Poland and is not included in the national orthodontic specialty curriculum, which is based on Polish and international professional textbooks and peer-reviewed literature.
Despite this, it has gained popularity in treatments for children, according to a market review and explanations submitted by healthcare providers.
Orthodontics is an established dental specialty that diagnoses and treats misaligned teeth and jaws, using methods that have been tested and incorporated into standard training and guidelines.
Orthotropics, on the other hand, is a set of techniques that aim to influence facial growth and jaw development, often in children, sometimes by training tongue and head posture and by using appliances.
The Ombudsman said his office has launched cases concerning practices that violate patients’ collective rights among entities using orthotropics.
The statement added that the first decisions in these cases oblige providers to cease practices that do not comply with the law.
The Polish Dental Association noted earlier this year that it was concerned about the method’s growing popularity.
In response, the Ombudsman sought a detailed review of whether orthotropics meets the legal standard for care based on current medical knowledge.
A regional orthodontic consultant advised that the method is not evidence-based and is absent from both undergraduate and specialist training.
The American Association of Orthodontists and the British Orthodontic Society were cited for stating that orthotropics lacks reliable proof of effectiveness and for advising against claims that facial structure can be permanently “modeled” through posture exercises alone.
Specialists also raised concerns about when therapy is started, the extent of arch expansion, and the flaring of incisors. They warned that round-the-clock appliance wear can lead to gum inflammation, gum recession, and unstable outcomes.
The statement said Polish and international scientific societies emphasize the absence of evidence confirming orthotropics as a standard orthodontic treatment.
The Polish Dental Association further pointed to a lack of high-quality clinical trials demonstrating the method’s effectiveness and safety.
The Polish Orthodontic Society said it does not run courses in orthotropics, sometimes marketed as “postural orthodontics.”
The society promotes orthodontic care grounded in scientific evidence, which requires robust research on the effectiveness of any technique, possible adverse effects, the stability of outcomes, and long-term benefits for patients.
(rt/gs)
Source: zdrowie.pap.pl