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July 1, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR KATHY JEAN,
DDS, IN IL
You do not need to worry about what to take in highschool
in order to become an orthodontist. I originally thought that
I wanted to be an orthodontist too, but I am currently a periodontist,
which is another type of dental specialist (after dental school).
I treat gum disease, perform dental surgeries, and surgically
place dental implants. I am also a professor at University
of Illinois Dental School. Ok, here is what you will need
to do in order to become an orthodontist in the United States:
1.) Take at least two years of pre requisites in COLLEGE....not
high school. You will need to take classes in Biology, Physics,
Chemistry, Calculus, English and some other items (ie. foreign
language), depending on which dental school you want to apply.
Grades do matter, and it's important to have a good GPA. You
do NOT need to attend an ivy league college or a top notch
college for your dental pre-requisites. But, keep in mind
that you still need some credibility in regards to the kind
of college in which you take your pre-requisite classes.
2.) After taking your pre-requisite classes, you will need
to take the DAT, or dental admissions test. It is similar
to the MCAT, but for dental applicants. The one part that
is very different in the DAT exam (versus the MCAT), is that
they will also test you on your ability to solve three dimensional
puzzles on a two dimensional format (on a flat page). You
must have some talent for solving problems like these, because
there aren't any classes that you can take to prepare for
this kind of test. Are you good at art? Working with your
hands? Play some musical instrument? If you want to see samples
of this test, call up your local library for prep books for
the DAT, or check with the American Student Dental Association
(Downtown Chicago, ADA headquarters).
3.) After you enter Dental school, you will be required to
complete four years of training to become a general dentist
(and pass national written dental boards part one and two).
Obtain a DDS or DMD degree. Then after graduation from general
dental school, you may finally apply for orthodontic residency
to learn to become an orthodontist. Most orthodontic residencies
are about two years (at least) in the United States. That
means being at the top of your dental class inorder to compete
for orthodontic residency. So, before you can become a practicing
orthodontist, you will need to pass the state license exam
for both general dentistry and orthodontic specialty!
It's a minimum of 8 years of college education to become an
orthodontist. The norm is about 10 years of college to become
an orthodontist. Remember, you need to complete your training
as a general dentist first, before you can become an orthodontist.
Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions.
Good Luck!
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