ABO Certification

What it means to be a Board Certified Orthodontist…

When choosing an orthodontist it is important to select a doctor who is most qualified to fit your needs. A board certified orthodontist is an orthodontist who has voluntarily gone through hundreds of additional hours of preparation to demonstrate their judgment, skills and knowledge required for providing the highest level of patient care. It shows a willingness by the doctor to continually improve themselves and their orthodontic education to the highest of standards.

To become certified, a doctor must first take a written exam to test their orthodontic knowledge. If they successfully complete the first round, then the doctors are asked to present treated cases to be examined by orthodontic experts. Doctors are asked to re-examine every few years to make sure their knowledge is up-to-date.

Are all orthodontists Board Certified?

No. All orthodontists must be licensed to practice, but at this time only 1 in 3 orthodontists have Board Certification. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) certification process signifies a unique achievement. It is a step beyond the years of advanced education it takes for a dentist to become a specialist in orthodontics. The process requires the orthodontist to demonstrate actual accomplishments in patient care with detailed case reports on the treatment provided for a broad range of patient problems. Board certification is a voluntary achievement that all orthodontists do not choose to pursue. In order to become board certified by the ABO, an individual orthodontist will go through an examination by a highly respected panel of examiners to demonstrate their orthodontic knowledge, clinical skills and judgment.