Occupation Details
Orthodontists
Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$0.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$0.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$0.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
400
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
460
+6 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
18
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.2%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
More School - Graduate or advanced degree
Experience Requirements
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education Requirements
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Training Details
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
New York State requires workers in this occupation to hold a license or certification.
Dentist
Learn MoreSkills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Adhesive removing pliers
- Autoclave sterilizers
- Band contouring pliers
- Band pushers
- Bird beak pliers
- Boone gauges
- Cap removing pliers
- Cheek retractors
- Cold sterilizers
- College tweezers
- Dental cone beam computed tomography CT equipment
- Dental curing light sources
- Dental digital x ray machines
- Dental explorers
- Dental micrometers
- Dental scalers
- Desktop computers
- Digital stereoscopic cameras
- Distal end cutters
- Dontrix gauges
- Double-ended band seaters
- Dry heat sterilizers
- Hollow chop pliers
- Interproximal strippers
- Intraoral 3-D imaging devices
- Jarabak pliers
- Laptop computers
- Laser scanners
- Ligature directors
- Lingual arch forming pliers
Technology
- Ada
- Algorithm Compu-Ceph
- American Orthodontics Photo-Eze
- Dolphin Imaging & Management Solutions Dolphin Management
- EZappt
- FYI Technologies Dr. View
- GAC International OrthoPlex
- Kodak Dental Systems Kodak ORTHOWARE
- Microsoft Office
- Solutions by Design ScreenPlay
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- operate dental equipment
- use medical equipment in direct patient care
- interpret x-rays
- write technical health or medical documents
- analyze dental data
- prepare patient reports
- monitor patient's condition
- conduct patient assessments
- counsel patients concerning diet
- prescribe or recommend drugs, medical devices or other forms of treatment
- identify body response variations
- understand properties or composition of drugs
- understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
- communicate technical information
- make presentations on health or medical issues
- collect dental laboratory diagnostic data
- obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
- make decisions
- follow confidentiality procedures
- use counseling techniques
- use dental treatment procedures
- follow infectious materials procedures
- use interpersonal communication techniques
- follow patient care procedures
- use research methodology procedures in health care
- use sanitation practices in health care settings
- use knowledge of medical terminology
- follow clinical radiation safety procedures
- use knowledge of dental terminology
- administer anesthetics
- administer injections
- administer medications or treatments
- diagnose or treat oral diseases
- diagnose or treat oral injuries
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Study diagnostic records, such as medical or dental histories, plaster models of the teeth, photos of a patient's face and teeth, and X-rays, to develop patient treatment plans.
- Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function.
- Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth.
- Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
- Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures.
- Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates.
- Instruct dental officers and technical assistants in orthodontic procedures and techniques.
- Prepare diagnostic and treatment records.
- Design and fabricate appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires.
- Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical services.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Dentists
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn More