What Is the Process for Becoming an Orthodontist?
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Undergraduate Education
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For those planning on pursuing a career as an orthodontist, undergraduate education plays a very important role in achieving this goal. The undergraduate student needs to take college courses in general medicine or nursing; he will then spend another four years in a graduate general dentistry program before he even enters a specialty orthodontic program. As an undergraduate student, he should take science courses (chemistry, physics, biology), calculus, a foreign language and English. When he is ready to apply for a graduate dentistry program, he will need to take the DAT (Dental Administration Test), similar to the MCAT, which is the test medical school applicants take. According to Dr. Kathy Jean, DDS, Peridontist, and Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago Dental School, placements for an orthodontic residency are very competitive; thus, it is imperative that the orthodontic student work hard to earn a slot. See How to Become an Orthodontist link in Resources.
Graduate Work
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Orthodontists work in a field in which only 6 percent of dentists can provide the necessary specialized treatment. While in graduate school, the student will begin learning how to diagnose, treat and prevent irregularities of the teeth, or "bad bite." In addition to learning diagnostic, preventive and treatment procedures, the orthodontic student will be learning about dental surgical procedures necessary to correct dental problems. The orthodontic student will also learn how to determine when malocclusion is caused by heredity, tooth decay or trauma to the mouth and/or teeth. The field of orthodontics has made technological advances, which make it possible for the orthodontist to provide treatment that may be less painful for her patients. New orthodontic students will learn about these procedures, as well as how to apply them to individual patients.
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Licensing
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The new orthodontist will have to take a test for licensing in her state. This exam will test how much she knows and how well she is qualified to deliver orthodontic services to patients in her area of the state. In addition to licensing, the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certifies orthodontists. This process involves the orthodontist in an examination by his orthodontic peers as to his clinical skills and orthodontic knowledge. The certification "is a demonstration to the dental profession and the general public of the orthodontist's pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence in orthodontics."
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