An orthodontist is a specialty dentistry sector in dentistry. An orthodontists responsibilities are to make sure a patient has a nice smile, functional bite, a nice chew and that a patient’s jaws are in a healthy and stable position.
So what do you need to do to become an orthodontist? First, you start with high school training. After you graduate from high school, you’ll need to head to undergraduate studies to get your bachelor’s in science.
You don’t necessarily need a degree in science to go to dental school, but you do need certain classes to transfer into dental school. The average time an undergraduate degree takes to complete is about four years.
After four years of undergrad, you must go to dental school. You can apply to dental school as early as one year before you graduate with your bachelor’s degree. The time spent in dental school is about four years. The training that potential orthodontists take in dental school is knowledge in basic science, medicine, and general dentistry. While in dental school, students get practice in 10 specialties for dentistry, like orthodontics which focuses on dental needs like braces.
Afterward, you may apply for residency in any of the specialties of dentistry. The time of residency may vary depending on the specialty you are going for, but a residency in orthodontics may be between two to three years. After 2-3 years, you are officially an orthodontist!
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