An orthodontist is a dentist who, after graduating from dental school, has completed an additional two to three years of full-time training at an accredited orthodontic residency program.  During this time, they are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of many different kinds of orthodontic problems, surgical cases, and cases involving prosthetic teeth and gum problems.  Orthodontists typically limit their practices to the field of orthodontics to focus on correcting misaligned teeth and jaw problems.

People sometimes wonder how many years of schooling an orthodontist must go through. Suppose we start calculating at first grade. Orthodontists must graduate high school (12 years), college (4 years), dental school (4 years), and orthodontic residency (2-3 years). So by the time they finish their orthodontic training, most orthodontists have been in school for 22-23 years!

Thus when choosing an orthodontist, you are not only getting someone who has undergone significant additional training, but someone who deals with orthodontic problems everyday.  Learn how to find an orthodontist near you.