Orthodontic residency programs / dental schools

Orthodontic residency programs are post-dental-school advanced education programs in the recognized dental specialty officially called orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. They are a category of graduate dental-education programs offered by universities and accredited institutions, not a single discrete entity. The training extends far beyond general dental practice into the technical mastery of tooth movement and jaw growth.

Entered after earning a dental degree (DDS/DMD), these programs require roughly two to three years of additional study — many run on a 36-month model — and are clinically intensive, demanding approximately 3,700 hours of specialized training. For example, CTOR Academy's Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics is a 36-month CODA-accredited program serving U.S.- and foreign-trained dentists.

Programs are accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Orthodontics is one of 14 types of advanced dental education programs CODA accredits and the ADA recognizes. The professional home for the specialty is the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), founded in 1900, which represents 19,000 orthodontist members across the U.S., Canada and abroad and maintains a directory of accredited programs for prospective residents.

Because these programs are highly technical and clinically intensive — centered on mastering tooth movement and jaw growth — innovations in orthodontic technique, technology, and education are directly relevant to how residents are trained and how the specialty advances.