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Isabella
Student
Denton, Texas
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How long is the process to become an orthodontist, Is it worth all the schooling?
I am a sophomore in high school and wondering what classes would help me get on track for University. Also any recommendations for dentistry or orthodontist schools would help!
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Johnson Tran
Tutor
93
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Johnson’s Answer
Hi Isabella,
Great time to be asking this, honestly. Here is the honest timeline: about 4 years of college for your bachelor's degree, then 4 years of dental school to earn a DDS or DMD, then a 2 to 3 year orthodontic residency. So plan on roughly 10 to 11 years after high school. That is a long road, but it is a well-marked one, and every step is a known quantity.
Is it worth it? Orthodontics pays well, demand stays steady (people will always want straight teeth), and the day-to-day is more regular than most medical specialties. The trade-offs are the schooling cost and the patience it takes, so the students who thrive are the ones genuinely interested in the science, not just the paycheck.
For classes right now as a sophomore: take biology and chemistry every year you can, push your math as far as it goes (algebra through pre-calculus or calculus), and add physics if your schedule allows. Those are the courses that dental schools weigh, and they also prepare you for the DAT, the admissions test you will take during college. Keep your GPA strong, because dental admissions is competitive.
For Texas specifically, you have strong options close to home: any Texas public university works for your bachelor's as long as you complete the pre-dental prerequisites, and the two big dental schools in state are UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry and Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas. You do not need a special "pre-dental" school; a solid state university with good science advising is plenty.
Warm regards,
Johnson Tran
Math Tutor / Educator
This semester, talk with your high school counselor about building a four-year course plan that keeps biology, chemistry, and math every year, and look up the pre-dental prerequisite list at one Texas dental school so you know the target early.
Great time to be asking this, honestly. Here is the honest timeline: about 4 years of college for your bachelor's degree, then 4 years of dental school to earn a DDS or DMD, then a 2 to 3 year orthodontic residency. So plan on roughly 10 to 11 years after high school. That is a long road, but it is a well-marked one, and every step is a known quantity.
Is it worth it? Orthodontics pays well, demand stays steady (people will always want straight teeth), and the day-to-day is more regular than most medical specialties. The trade-offs are the schooling cost and the patience it takes, so the students who thrive are the ones genuinely interested in the science, not just the paycheck.
For classes right now as a sophomore: take biology and chemistry every year you can, push your math as far as it goes (algebra through pre-calculus or calculus), and add physics if your schedule allows. Those are the courses that dental schools weigh, and they also prepare you for the DAT, the admissions test you will take during college. Keep your GPA strong, because dental admissions is competitive.
For Texas specifically, you have strong options close to home: any Texas public university works for your bachelor's as long as you complete the pre-dental prerequisites, and the two big dental schools in state are UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry and Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas. You do not need a special "pre-dental" school; a solid state university with good science advising is plenty.
Warm regards,
Johnson Tran
Math Tutor / Educator
Johnson recommends the following next steps:
Thank you for responding! I have a few more questions I would like to ask if you are willing to answer! First, is this career mainly focused on hands-on activity? I really don't want to be stuck on a computer all day. Another one is I am in honors chemistry because that is the highest my school offers for my grade level right now, but for my junior year would you recommend me taking AP Biology, AP chemistry, anatomy, or physics the most? Again, Thank you!
Isabella
Happy to answer, Isabella! First one is good news: orthodontics is very hands-on. The day is mostly chairside work - examining patients, placing braces, fitting aligners, adjusting appliances - with some records time on the computer, but that's the smaller part. For junior year: pick the most rigorous science you can do well in, since dental schools weigh rigor and grade together. AP Chemistry maps most directly onto the pre-dental college sequence, AP Biology is closest to the anatomy/physiology side, and anatomy is great prep if offered. Physics can wait until senior year or college. One strong AP beats a stack you struggle through. And keep math every year.
Johnson Tran