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Hi. I am interested in becoming and orthodontist and I was wondering on average, about how many years you have to go to school to become an orthodontist and about how much money you would make? Thanks!
-Taylor
In the US one must first graduate from a 4 year college with a bachelor's degree. Following college comes another 4 years of dental school. At this point if you graduate successfully from dental school you can take the national and regional board examinations. Once you pass the examinations successfully you can be licensed to practice dentistry. Most dentists either take an additional year or two of a general practice residency, go into practice or take a 2-3 year specialty residency program.
The income potential for dentists is $85,000-150,000 for a general dentist and $125,000-250,000 for a specialist. This can vary greatly from one region of the country to another and from urban to rural.
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Dr. Randolph Myerson
Expertise
Please limit your inquiry to questions about orthodontics (braces) and children's dentistry. I am both an Orthodontist and a Pediatric Dentist, having been trained in both of these dental specialty fields. Orthodontics is the dental specialty that treats problems of tooth, bite and jaw alignment using braces and removable appliances. Pediatric Dentistry is the dental specialty also known as dentistry for children, which deals specifically with the dental problems of this special age group from infants to adolescents. I am also experienced in Forensic Dentistry, the application of dentistry to law enforcement and identification using dental records.
Experience
I have been in the private practice of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry for over 20 years. Prior to that I served for three years on the Cleft Palate and Cranio-facial Reconstruction team at Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia and was an Assistant Professor of Dentistry at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. I also served as a dentist in the U.S.Air Force, stationed at Andrews AFB in Washington, DC.
Organizations
I am a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Association of Orthodontics, as well as a member of the American Dental Association and the Dental Society of the State of New York.
Education/Credentials
I received my BA in Biology from Frankin & Marshall College in 1969, and my dental degree from University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1973. In 1978 I received both my Certificate in Orthodontics from University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and my Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia after completing a three year Teaching Fellowship in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in 1978.
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