American Association of Orthodontists TV Spot

An Orthodontist--Advanced Education Beyond Dental School

A dentist who does braces, is not an orthodontist.

Just as there are specialists in medicine (such as cardiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, etc.), there are specialists in dentistry. Orthodontists are dental specialists who dedicate their professional lives to correcting misaligned teeth and jaws.

Orthodontists are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time university-based education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists. That training lasts at least two academic years—sometimes more. By learning about tooth movement (orthodontics) and guidance of facial development (dentofacial orthopedics), orthodontists are the uniquely trained experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws.

Annually, there are only 200 orthodontic residency spots nationwide. This makes Orthodontics one of the most competitive and difficult specialities for dentists to get into. Rest assured, by bringing your child to an orthodontist for braces, you are taking them to one of the very best.