The biennial symposium of the Education, Research and Development Group (ERDG) of the New Zealand Association of Orthodontists (NZAO) was held in Tauranga on August 5 and 6, 2005. Following a well-tested format the symposium considered the benefits and risks of orthodontic treatment, a timely topic in an age when the role of health-related professions is under increasing public scrutiny in New Zealand. The registration fee included a copy of the book Risk Management in Orthodontics: Experts' Guide to Malpractice, edited by Graber et al (2004). The findings reported here represent the consensus reached by delegates attending the symposium.