What Does It Take To Become An Orthodontist?
Orthodontists are dentists who specialize in improving oral health by correcting misaligned teeth, overbites and other abnormalities of the jaw. Although most orthodontists are sought mostly for improving a person’s appearance, misaligned teeth can lead to severe tooth decay and a host of other oral problems because not only do they cause bite problems that hinder eating, but crooked or overcrowded teeth are harder to brush and floss as well.
In Kentucky, the most advanced teeth alignment services are available at all locations of the Kentucky Center for Orthodontics. Offices are located in centers throughout Kentucky. Look for braces Louisville or orthodontics Lexington or call 800-929-7733 for more information.
Dental schools require at least 2 years of college level education prior to admittance. Although Dental schools do not require any specific undergraduate degree, subjects such as chemistry, biology, and advanced sciences are generally needed so science courses are recommended.
Studying to become a dentist or orthodontist involves a wide range of disciplines such as physiology, biochemistry and anatomy in addition to substantial lab work. Students are also required to undergo hands on training where students must treat patients under the supervision of licensed dentists before obtaining their DDS or DMD.
After graduation from school, dental admissions tests (DAT) are administered to assess the skills necessary to practice dentistry, after which one can enroll in an orthodontics program. After completion of this 2-3 year Masters program, a dentist must pass the College of Dentists Board examination to become a practicing orthodontist.
Orthodontists use varying techniques for diagnosing specific teeth alignment problems of their patients such as x-rays and tooth molds. This allows the orthodontist to identify the problem and treat it with dental appliances intended to correct misaligned teeth.
Orthodontists can either be solo practitioners, in which case they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff, or work as a part of a team of dentists or healthcare providers.
The average annual salary for dentists is around $142,870 in May 2008. Earnings vary according to years of experience, location, number of hours worked, and specialty. There are typically higher earnings for orthodontists and dentists in private practice as opposed to dentists on a fixed salary.
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