How difficult do you think it is to become an orthodontist?

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#1 Post by **knownothing** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:54 am

I was wondering how difficult everyone here thought it was to become an orthodontist? How smart and/or successful do they have to become one? Do you know what kind of education your orthodontist went through?

#2 Post by **starryadora** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:42 am

Well, orthodontists are dentists, so you have to go through dental school to become a dentist. Becoming an orthodontist requires taking additional courses...in orthodontics.

#3 Post by **Raspberry** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:56 am

This was in one a pamphlet I got when I got my elastics titled
"Elastics: They're Pulling for You" by the American Association of Orthontist

What Is An Orthodontist?
An orthodontist is a specialist in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. All orthodontists are dentists, but only about six percent of dentists are orthodontists. Admission to orthodontic post-graduate programs is extremely competitive and selective.

It takes many years to become an orthodontist and the educational requirements are demanding.

An orthodontist must complete college requirements before starting a three-to five-year graduate program at a dental school accredited by the American Dental Accociation (ADA). After dental school, at least two or three academic years of advanced specialty education in an ADA-accredited orthodontic program are required to be an orthodontist. The program includes advanced education in biomedical, behavioral and basic sciences. The orthodontic student learns the complex skills required to manage both tooth movement (orthodontics) and guide facial development (dentofacial orthopedics).

Only dentist who have successfully completed these advanced specialty education programs may call themselves orthodontists.

#4 Post by **Lucifina** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 1:57 pm

It is totally worth it to go to school to be an ortho to because they don't have to do any of the dirty work that dentists have to do. Actually they really don't have to do much physical work at all. That is all for the assistants

They have to know where to put your teeth though. How to get the tooth from point A to point B. They also have to know how to look good while standing there telling the assistants what to do and while driving the expensive cars we help them buy.

I used to think that being a dentist would be fun when I was little but now that I am grown, I can see that being an Ortho is the way to go...now if I could only be good at all that science stuff. Really though, I love my ortho tons, I just think it is hilarious that he went to school for soooo long and he does not actually do hardly any physical work

That is the beauty of education!