So you want to be an orthodontist?

How to get into orthodontic school.

I'm an orthodontist. I love what I do.  My life has been blessed beyond measure. I've been asked by countless patients about what it takes to become an orthodontist.  Here's a few tips.
Young people want to be orthodontists do so for many reasons:

• You've had braces and you love your orthodontist.  
• You like the idea of helping people get great smiles. 
• You want to earn lots of money, you can.  
• You want to be a 'doctor'. 
• You don't want to be on call, deal with blood, pain, sickness or disease.
• You like working with your hands.
• You want to be your own boss.

First let me say this.  Their is no magic formula for getting into an orthodontic residency. It is extremely competitive and there are many hurdles along the way.  We'll talk about these in this article.

The Path: 

Starting in High School take college prep classes. Your goal is to get into a good 4 year college program that offers the prerequisites to dental school.

College: 

Most dental schools require a year each of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology and English.  A bachelor's degree is nice, but not required. (several of my dental classmates only had 2 years of undergraduate school and no degree).  You don't have to major in a science, but it makes sense.  The worst advice on going to dental school was given to me by my undergraduate college's "pre-professional advisement center".  I was to told to take chemistry for chem majors and physics for physics majors.  What a crock!  It's better to have a high GPA than to compete with the geeks in their own major. Think about to which dental schools you are applying and find out what they recommend/require. The goal is to get a dental school interview. You have to meet whatever minimum cut off the school of your choice may have.
Those will be based on:

1. Taking the prerequisite courses
2. Having above the threshold GPA
3. Scoring above the cutoff in your DAT score.

If I were applying to dental school today I's want to find out the average grades/scores in these metrics.
To improve your chances of getting accepted once you've gotten an invitation to interview you need to make yourself stand out.  Dental school Academics love research- do some research in undergrad school.  Demonstrate that you are a good person- volunteer to help those in need. Do what you can to help kids, the elderly or the handicapped. Get letters of recommendation from significant people.  Every applicant has a letter from their dentist telling how you kept your teeth clean and are a good person.  Try to go beyond that.  A personal connection with someone the committee knows pulls more weight.

Dental School

Once you get into dental school you will have to repeat the same process to get into an orthodontic residency, only this time the competition is even greater.  Hopefully you rank in the top 5 (first or second is best) in your dental class.  The advantage you now have is that you can focus on getting to know the orthodontic faculty.  Because you're at a dental school you have a great chance to get them to know you. 

My recommendations:

Be smart, get good grades. Test well.
Be well rounded.
Demonstrate good character.
Make connections. This is so important. There are so many qualified applicants to programs. Basically once you get an interview with an orthodontic program and you are evaluated by faculty the question they are asking themselves is "Can I work with this person daily for the next three years?"

Many apply, few are chosen.

IF YOUR DREAM IS TO BE AN ORTHODONTIST- START NOW TO TAKE EVERY STEP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Why aligners aren't for eveyone.

I've been an Invisalign provider since the beginning.  The theory behind aligners is great, and many people get a fine result. However, if you're thinking about straightening your teeth with aligners, like Invisalign, you need to have some information to find out if they are right for you. Hopefully your orthodontist (your not really thinking about letting a dentist do this right?) has the experience and will be bluntly honest about aligner treatment. The theory and reality they do not always line up.
What are the factors which need to be considered?

• Type of Correction
• Cooperation
• Length of Treatment
• Quality of Result
• Cost

Type of Correction
Some smiles and bites are more difficult to fix than others.  Yes, I have fixed really bad bites with aligners.  But for the average patient the time and cooperation burden is too great.  If there is a significant interarch discrepancy (small jaw, underbite) aligners do less of a good job. An experienced orthodontist should provide you with an honest appraisal of your prospects for success.
Cooperation
Aligners are removable, you choose when to wear them.  You're probably paying a premium for your aligner treatment so it's up to you.  Aligners need to be worn at all times- except during eating and brushing.  Some patients forget to put them back in right away, some snack too much, and some just can't talk with them in.  If you have a job which requires you to speak (and what job doesn't) I'd recommend getting a test retainer to see if the aligners are something you can wear.  The primary failure of aligner treatment which doesn't work after case selection) stems from lack of cooperation.
Length of Treatment
Your aligner treatment will take longer than you think. If your teeth don't move the way the aligner manufacturer says they will, additional aligners will be needed.  Some teeth are stubborn.  Most aligners are made start to finish at the beginning of treatment.  Most complex aligner treatments will require more aligners to tweak the final result.
Quality of Result
In my opinion, aligners don't generally get as good a result as braces. I suspect that root alignment is the issue. Orthodontic treatment is about building the smile and bite into perfect harmony. Teeth can be tipped into place, which doesn't guarantee the roots are in the right place. It seems to me that a plastic shell just can't grab a tooth the way a brace can.
Cost
Aligner companies charge significant fees for their services, these costs are passed onto you. That's why the orthodontist charges more for aligners.
Who is it for?
I recommend aligners for the following patients:

• Those with simple corrections
• Those who have a strong commitment to treatment
• Those who refuse to wear braces.

You still want aligners?
Invisalign didn't invent aligners and they have the most promoted product on the market. Invisalign has become synonymous with clear aligner orthodontic treatment.  Many other orthodontic companies have jumped into the aligner business.  Each having it's own system. An experienced orthodontist can point you in the right direction