What does an orthodontist do?
An orthodontist is responsible for evaluating the dental records, including x-ray and surgery results of a patient, administering medications to treat dental issues and avoid further health complications. Orthodontists perform adjustments on the patients' dental condition, including teeth improvement procedures, by utilizing dental equipment and tools for operations. They inspect the efficiency of the operating equipment and machine, ensuring its stability and top-performance condition by conducting regular maintenance and sterilizing equipment to prevent contamination that may affect dental results.
Orthodontist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real orthodontist resumes:
- Manage Invisalign treatments and procedures.
- Present financial arrangements for all patients, which result in increase revenue and accountability of services accept.
- Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills, and establish trust and strong rapport with patients.
- Deliver and cement appliances at doctor's request as well as fit and cement orthodontic bands.
- Attend educational seminars to obtain the latest technology in orthodontics.
- Represent CPE program at regional recruitment events.
- Wash and sterilize equipment using germicides and sterilizers.
Orthodontist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 68% of Orthodontists are proficient in Patients, Diagnosis, and OSHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Orthodontists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 68%
Presented financial arrangements for all patients, which resulted in increased revenue and accountability of services accepted.
- Diagnosis, 6%
Administered records management, recording proper diagnosis, charting measurements, patient treatments, and planning.
- OSHA, 3%
Maintained dental equipment and sterilized instruments per OSHA guidelines.
- Ortho, 3%
Saved failing Ortho practice by dramatically increasing new starts.
- Dental Practice, 2%
Provided periodontal evaluation and hygiene for dental practice
- Treatment Planning, 2%
Followed the Damon System of orthodontic treatment planning and protocol
Common skills that an orthodontist uses to do their job include "patients," "diagnosis," and "osha." You can find details on the most important orthodontist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an orthodontist to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what orthodontists do because "dentists must communicate effectively with patients, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and receptionists." Additionally, an orthodontist resume shows how orthodontists use communication skills: "demonstrated outstanding interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills, and established trust and strong rapport with patients. "
Detail oriented. Many orthodontist duties rely on detail oriented. "dentists must pay attention to the shape and color of teeth and to the space between them," so an orthodontist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways orthodontist responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "detailed patients education on hygiene, procedures, and treatment. "
Dexterity. This is an important skill for orthodontists to perform their duties. For an example of how orthodontist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "dentists must be good with their hands." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an orthodontist: "observed various periodontal procedures such as gum lifts, laser treatments, and gum grafts as well as sterilization of instruments. ".
Leadership skills. A big part of what orthodontists do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to orthodontist responsibilities because "dentists, especially those with their own practices, may need to manage staff or mentor other dentists." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical orthodontist tasks: "provided nursing leadership, coordination and support to a private oral and maxillofacial surgeon's office. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for orthodontist responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of orthodontists all the time, as "keeping accurate records of patient care is critical in both medical and business settings." An excerpt from a real orthodontist resume shows how this skill is central to what an orthodontist does: "developed organizational techniques and policies to ensure all the patients records/financials were properly maintained and billed on time. "
Patience. Another skill commonly found on orthodontist job descriptions is "patience." It can come up quite often in orthodontist duties, since "dentists may work for long periods with patients who need special attention, including children and those with a fear of dental work." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day orthodontist responsibilities: "assisted patients with checking in/ checking out scheduled appointments for patience"
The three companies that hire the most orthodontists are:
- Western Dental98 orthodontists jobs
- Benevis
90 orthodontists jobs
- Pacific Dental Services29 orthodontists jobs
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Compare different orthodontists
Orthodontist vs. Board certified orthodontist
A board-certified orthodontist specializes in diagnosing and correcting different issues in teeth and jaw. They particularly design and place orthodontic devices to improve teeth and jaw alignment, such as braces and retainers. Their job also entails studying the patients' medical records and dental histories, conducting diagnostic tests, assessing x-rays, developing treatment plans and discussing them with the patients, providing cost estimates, or referring patients to other specialists when necessary. Moreover, as a board-certified orthodontist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, providing them with guidelines and instructions for successful operations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between orthodontists and board certified orthodontist. For instance, orthodontist responsibilities require skills such as "diagnosis," "osha," "ortho," and "group practice." Whereas a board certified orthodontist is skilled in "rehabilitation," "psychiatry," "emr," and "patient care." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that board certified orthodontists earn slightly differ from orthodontists. In particular, board certified orthodontists are 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an orthodontist. Additionally, they're 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Orthodontist vs. Orthodontist assistant
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, orthodontist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "dds," "diagnosis," "osha," and "group practice." Meanwhile, an orthodontist assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "patient care," "instrument trays," "infection control policies," and "cpr." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, orthodontist assistants achieve lower levels of education than orthodontists. They're 11.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Types of orthodontist
Updated January 8, 2025
