When it comes to choosing a career, many people follow in the footsteps of people they know: the children of doctors often become doctors, a great teacher may inspire their students to go into teaching, or a family carpentry business might include three generations of carpenters.

When asked why they chose their career, many orthodontists have a similar story: my orthodontist gave me a beautiful smile when I was young, and I was inspired to do the same! Millions of people get their teeth straightened with orthodontic care every year, and a large proportion of them are young, between the ages of 10 and 14. That means a lot of kids achieving healthy, beautiful smiles – and a lot of kids getting inspired by the amazing work their orthodontists do!

Whatever reasons people have for becoming orthodontists, most of them really love their jobs! Being an orthodontist is challenging and rewarding, and all about helping other people.

What is it like being an orthodontist?

An orthodontist is a specialist doctor, which means they go to school for a long time (8-10 years, in fact) to perfect the art of straightening teeth and helping people achieve healthy smiles.

Because they provide a medical service, orthodontists are usually in charge of the office where they work. They will lead a team of other dental professionals, such as dental hygienists, dental assistants, orthodontic assistants, and office managers, to treat patients, manage files, clean and restock the office, and handle all billing and insurance payments.

Unlike many medical doctors, orthodontists generally don’t have to work late at night or handle emergencies at any time of day. While they handle emergency orthodontic care, this usually can happen during regular business hours. Flexible work hours and no late nights are some of the many perks of being an orthodontist!

And while straightening teeth is challenging, precise work, there is not as much time pressure or stress as many other medical careers. Plus, most people want to achieve a beautiful, healthy smile, so patients are usually happy to be there! This makes the orthodontist’s office a cheerful, enjoyable place to work.

Orthodontists usually work during the day, often from late morning into the evening, since they see so many young people after school. Depending on the office, some orthodontists may work some weekends, too.

An orthodontist’s office is similar to a dentist’s office, with medical equipment, patient files, waiting room, exam rooms, x-ray machines, and more. Some orthodontists work in small practices with only one doctor (orthodontists are also called doctors) and an assistant or two, while some work in large practices with several doctors and many assistants.

What is work-life like for an orthodontist?

Orthodontists treat each patient’s case individually. No smile is exactly alike, so the doctor carefully examines the patient’s teeth and orthodontic issues (called malocclusions), using x-rays and digital imaging to see the whole dental structure. Then, the orthodontist creates a unique treatment plan to safely and carefully move the teeth into their correct positions. The treatment may use fixed braces, or removable clear aligners like Invisalign, depending on the patient’s preference and the specifics of their case.

Over 1-3 years, the patient will visit the orthodontist every month or so, so the orthodontist can check the progress and make any necessary adjustments. When they are finished, the orthodontist will create a custom retainer, which the patient will use to protect the results of their orthodontic care. Once the patient has their retainer, they usually don’t go back to the orthodontist, but the orthodontist will have lots of new patients to treat! An orthodontist will treat thousands of patients over the course of their career.

But not every patient is the same! Each patient has a unique diagnosis and unique treatment needs, so part of the challenge of being an orthodontist – and the reason they go to so much school – is designing the right orthodontic care plan to achieve the desired results. The orthodontist needs to be able to predict tiny shifts in the teeth to move them where they need to go. It’s almost like a puzzle! Orthodontists use technology to help them model dental movements and create a treatment plan, but they also need a lot of experience and talent to be successful.

When they aren’t examining a patient’s teeth, an orthodontist has lots of other responsibilities:

• Writing patient notes
• Planning and designing treatment
• Communicating with the patient or patient’s parents with emails and phone calls
• Talking to the patient’s dentist, oral surgeon, or other medical professional
• Taking continuing education courses to keep their license active
• Reading up on the newest developments in orthodontic care
• Any business responsibilities, including budgets, setting up schedules, hiring new employees, paying taxes, and more

Pros

There are many benefits to choosing a career as an orthodontist. Some of these include:

• High salary and good benefits
• Reasonable work hours with full-time or part-time employment
• Enjoyable work atmosphere
• Sociable office environment working with a team
• Challenging and rewarding work with grateful patients
• Variety of cases means the work doesn’t get boring
• Easy to find a job anywhere in the world
• An international network of colleagues, attend interesting conferences

Cons

While most orthodontists report high job satisfaction, this may not be the job for everyone! Like any job, there are some drawbacks:

• Must attend many years of school
• May need to take on student debt to finish school
• Must be comfortable with “ick factor”: saliva, blood, gum tissue, etc.
• If you own your own practice, many business responsibilities
• Need to take continuing education courses to stay licensed

For the reasons listed above, some choose not to pursue a career in orthodontics. But for those who believe the benefits outweigh the cons, you can expect a rewarding, challenging, and fun career as an orthodontist!

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