6 answers
Ethan
Student
Shepherdsville, Kentucky
1
Question
Asked
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I want to become an Orthodontist and I was thinking about getting a Dental Hygienist (BS) and the later pursuing an Orthodontist. What would be the best way to enter this type of field and where should I start as a High School student?
I'm a junior in high school and my biggest dream is to become a orthodontist but i'm not sure the steps to take in order to achieve my dream.
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6 answers
Andriy Gaydaychuk
Dental Hygienist
1
Answer
Riverview, Florida
Updated
Andriy’s Answer
Will comment on this.
I’m a foreign trained dentist myself. Currently working as Dental Hygienist in Florida. Before I worked in various clinical support and management roles in Orthodontic DSO. I know many dentists, hygienists, orthodontists, as well as their life stories.
To answer this question you need to deeply understand what does it take to become an orthodontist, and where are you right now.
To be more specific:
1. how many years of your life are you willing to sacrifice?
2. what is your financial position?
3. how much support will you get from your family?
4. Are you willing to work very hard ?
To become an orthodontist you need to spend 11 years in school after High School.
4 years to get BS(Pre-Dental)
Tuition: $25-50k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Total: $200-400k to get pre dental BS
4 years of D.D.S./DMD program to become a dentist first
Tuition: $50-110k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Total: $300-600k to get your D.D.S./DMD
3 Years of orthodontic Residency
Tuition: $0 to 110k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Places that pay you resident salary while you in a program, are super competitive. There are 100 applicants for 1 spot, or so.
Programs that are easier to get in (competition of 20 applicants for 1 spot) cost around $100k per year.
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Most of the programs are 3 year programs. There are few 2- year programs in the country, but those are very competitive as well.
Total: $75-450k to get your Ortho Specialty certificate.
So total cost to become an orthodontist is:
$575k-$1.5mil and 11 years of life( in case if you get into Dental school and later Ortho School from first attempt)
In return: you get a yearly salary $400-600k as of right now.
11 years from now, I believe it will be around $1 mil per year (with inflation)
You would need to Sacrifice all your 20’s to become an orthodontist.
If you will get a lot of financial support from your family? And will graduate from ortho school debt free or almost debt free, you will have a very good life moving forward.
Orthodontist is a very good job.
If you will graduate ortho school with $1mil debt, you will need to sacrifice half or most your 30’s to pay off your debts, and you will have good life moving forward.
To become a Dental Hygienist, you will need to spend 3-4 years.
1-2 years to get few college credits that are required to get into Dental Hygiene Program.
Pre-requisite credits you could get at any community collage almost for free, going to college part time, and working part time as dental assistant. If you live with parents, you will get it debt-free
2 years of Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene
Tuition for entire program: $20-90k, depends on the program. State/community colleges are cheap, but harder to get in. Private programs are easy to get in but expensive.
If you live with parents, work part time as dental assistant, and go to community/state college, and your parents financially support you, you can graduate debt free or almost debt free.
Once you get your AS in Dental Hygiene, you get you license.
In most states, you can easily make $100k per year.
$100k per year is not bad salary for 21 year old( you get it 3 years after high school)
BS in dental hygiene is useless, and will not help you any how to get better job, or get in dental schools later. Employers don’t care about BS in hygiene, they care about you bean licensed as a hygienist (AS is enough) and you being good with patients, and having experience.
BS in dental hygiene is useful only if you want to start teaching dental hygiene in colleges, but you would need it much later in your hygiene career, and you could always get it online anytime.
Not sure if it makes sense to become a dental hygienist as a stepping stone to become an orthodontist in future.
You will spend minimum 3 years to become hygienist.
If you plan to work as a hygienist for few year before pursuing orthodontist career for few years, it will delay you, and you wouldn’t be able to save up any money for dental school anyway.
Let’s say you spend 3 years to become hygienist, another 3 years working as a hygienist, you will be delayed 6 years.
You still will need 10-11 years of school to become an orthodontist.
If your absolute dream is to become an orthodontist, I would suggest to concentrate 100% on that, starting from High school.
1. While you are in High school, do your research, you need to find the best colleges near you that have established reputation of been “pre-dental or pre-med” with high percentage of students been accepted into a dental schools. Goal is to find the cheapest school with highest chance of getting into a dental school after getting your BS - predental
2. While you are in college, you got to work with your advisors and research dental schools. Need good grades, awards, deans list, leadership experience, volunteering, research experience. You need to work on your profile slowly step by step during 4 years.
3.Apply to as many Dental schools as possible. More - Better - goal is to get into a cheaper program. Reputation of dental school is not important. You don’t need Ivy League dental diploma to be a dentist. You don’t need to overpay double for fancy school degree. Employers don’t care what dental school did you graduate from, they care only how good you are with patients, and what procedures and can do. Your goal is to get in to a cheapest dental school, in area with cheapest living costs ( cheap rent, food, transportation)
4. While in dental school - you need to work 4 years on building your profile for Ortho program acceptance after. Good grades…
5. Apply to as many ortho programs as possible.
Same as with dental school, it doesn’t matter is it prestigious or not. Employers don’t care if you graduated from Harvard.
Goal is to get in to the cheapest program possible. Preferably in 2 year program. Ideally with resident stipend salary.
It’s better to become an orthodontist as soon as possible, after high school, without any “stepping stones” even if you will end up going to more expensive school and getting yourself into big debt.
Let’s compare 2 potential situations that you could be in:
1. You graduate high school 18y.o. After 11 years you are 29y.o. orthodontist with $575k-1.5mil debt and $400-600k salary
Or
2. You go with Dental Hygiene stepping stone. High school 18y.o. After 3-4 you become hygienist - 21y.o After, work for 3 years, and you are 24.y.o. You decided to continue to move towards your dream of becoming orthodontist. You spend 11 years and now you are an orthodontist. And you are 35y.o with the same salary of $400-600k a year, just 6 years later.
If you become orthodontist 6 years early you could pay off you loans by this time.
Also, don’t forget that there is a big chance that you might meet someone, start family, etc.. so it is better to get done with orthodontic education in your 20’s, so you will have easier time building your family in your 30’s.
I’m a foreign trained dentist myself. Currently working as Dental Hygienist in Florida. Before I worked in various clinical support and management roles in Orthodontic DSO. I know many dentists, hygienists, orthodontists, as well as their life stories.
To answer this question you need to deeply understand what does it take to become an orthodontist, and where are you right now.
To be more specific:
1. how many years of your life are you willing to sacrifice?
2. what is your financial position?
3. how much support will you get from your family?
4. Are you willing to work very hard ?
To become an orthodontist you need to spend 11 years in school after High School.
4 years to get BS(Pre-Dental)
Tuition: $25-50k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Total: $200-400k to get pre dental BS
4 years of D.D.S./DMD program to become a dentist first
Tuition: $50-110k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Total: $300-600k to get your D.D.S./DMD
3 Years of orthodontic Residency
Tuition: $0 to 110k per year ( depending what school do you go to)
Places that pay you resident salary while you in a program, are super competitive. There are 100 applicants for 1 spot, or so.
Programs that are easier to get in (competition of 20 applicants for 1 spot) cost around $100k per year.
Living expenses : $25-50k per year, depending where you live.
Most of the programs are 3 year programs. There are few 2- year programs in the country, but those are very competitive as well.
Total: $75-450k to get your Ortho Specialty certificate.
So total cost to become an orthodontist is:
$575k-$1.5mil and 11 years of life( in case if you get into Dental school and later Ortho School from first attempt)
In return: you get a yearly salary $400-600k as of right now.
11 years from now, I believe it will be around $1 mil per year (with inflation)
You would need to Sacrifice all your 20’s to become an orthodontist.
If you will get a lot of financial support from your family? And will graduate from ortho school debt free or almost debt free, you will have a very good life moving forward.
Orthodontist is a very good job.
If you will graduate ortho school with $1mil debt, you will need to sacrifice half or most your 30’s to pay off your debts, and you will have good life moving forward.
To become a Dental Hygienist, you will need to spend 3-4 years.
1-2 years to get few college credits that are required to get into Dental Hygiene Program.
Pre-requisite credits you could get at any community collage almost for free, going to college part time, and working part time as dental assistant. If you live with parents, you will get it debt-free
2 years of Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene
Tuition for entire program: $20-90k, depends on the program. State/community colleges are cheap, but harder to get in. Private programs are easy to get in but expensive.
If you live with parents, work part time as dental assistant, and go to community/state college, and your parents financially support you, you can graduate debt free or almost debt free.
Once you get your AS in Dental Hygiene, you get you license.
In most states, you can easily make $100k per year.
$100k per year is not bad salary for 21 year old( you get it 3 years after high school)
BS in dental hygiene is useless, and will not help you any how to get better job, or get in dental schools later. Employers don’t care about BS in hygiene, they care about you bean licensed as a hygienist (AS is enough) and you being good with patients, and having experience.
BS in dental hygiene is useful only if you want to start teaching dental hygiene in colleges, but you would need it much later in your hygiene career, and you could always get it online anytime.
Not sure if it makes sense to become a dental hygienist as a stepping stone to become an orthodontist in future.
You will spend minimum 3 years to become hygienist.
If you plan to work as a hygienist for few year before pursuing orthodontist career for few years, it will delay you, and you wouldn’t be able to save up any money for dental school anyway.
Let’s say you spend 3 years to become hygienist, another 3 years working as a hygienist, you will be delayed 6 years.
You still will need 10-11 years of school to become an orthodontist.
If your absolute dream is to become an orthodontist, I would suggest to concentrate 100% on that, starting from High school.
1. While you are in High school, do your research, you need to find the best colleges near you that have established reputation of been “pre-dental or pre-med” with high percentage of students been accepted into a dental schools. Goal is to find the cheapest school with highest chance of getting into a dental school after getting your BS - predental
2. While you are in college, you got to work with your advisors and research dental schools. Need good grades, awards, deans list, leadership experience, volunteering, research experience. You need to work on your profile slowly step by step during 4 years.
3.Apply to as many Dental schools as possible. More - Better - goal is to get into a cheaper program. Reputation of dental school is not important. You don’t need Ivy League dental diploma to be a dentist. You don’t need to overpay double for fancy school degree. Employers don’t care what dental school did you graduate from, they care only how good you are with patients, and what procedures and can do. Your goal is to get in to a cheapest dental school, in area with cheapest living costs ( cheap rent, food, transportation)
4. While in dental school - you need to work 4 years on building your profile for Ortho program acceptance after. Good grades…
5. Apply to as many ortho programs as possible.
Same as with dental school, it doesn’t matter is it prestigious or not. Employers don’t care if you graduated from Harvard.
Goal is to get in to the cheapest program possible. Preferably in 2 year program. Ideally with resident stipend salary.
It’s better to become an orthodontist as soon as possible, after high school, without any “stepping stones” even if you will end up going to more expensive school and getting yourself into big debt.
Let’s compare 2 potential situations that you could be in:
1. You graduate high school 18y.o. After 11 years you are 29y.o. orthodontist with $575k-1.5mil debt and $400-600k salary
Or
2. You go with Dental Hygiene stepping stone. High school 18y.o. After 3-4 you become hygienist - 21y.o After, work for 3 years, and you are 24.y.o. You decided to continue to move towards your dream of becoming orthodontist. You spend 11 years and now you are an orthodontist. And you are 35y.o with the same salary of $400-600k a year, just 6 years later.
If you become orthodontist 6 years early you could pay off you loans by this time.
Also, don’t forget that there is a big chance that you might meet someone, start family, etc.. so it is better to get done with orthodontic education in your 20’s, so you will have easier time building your family in your 30’s.
Andrey Perdue
Dental Hygienist
15
Answers
Destin, Florida
Updated
Andrey’s Answer
Ethan, I've been working as a dental hygienist for the past 8 years and I can assure you that it's a fantastic career choice. The pay is impressive, especially considering it only requires an associate degree. However, it's important to note that the credits from Dental Hygiene school don't contribute to your pre-dental degree. Dental schools usually prefer applicants with a biomedical science degree or a degree rich in science.
Think of the dental hygiene degree as a stepping stone. It equips you with valuable real-world experience and provides a solid career option if you ever decide to change your path. The flexible schedule of a dental hygienist allows you to continue working towards your ultimate goal.
I would advise against pursuing a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene, as it doesn't provide any additional advantages.
Please don't hesitate to connect with me. I'm currently navigating the dental school application process as a non-traditional student, and I'd be happy to share my experiences with you.
Think of the dental hygiene degree as a stepping stone. It equips you with valuable real-world experience and provides a solid career option if you ever decide to change your path. The flexible schedule of a dental hygienist allows you to continue working towards your ultimate goal.
I would advise against pursuing a bachelor's degree in dental hygiene, as it doesn't provide any additional advantages.
Please don't hesitate to connect with me. I'm currently navigating the dental school application process as a non-traditional student, and I'd be happy to share my experiences with you.
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Tracy
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1590
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
In order to practice as a dental hygienist Ethan, you’ll need the correct training and education. The American Dental Hygienists Association recognizes both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene as the required education for entry-level dental hygienist jobs. An associate’s degree will take two years to complete, whereas a bachelor’s degree will typically take four.
There are pros to both types of degrees. For instance, getting an associate’s degree allows you to begin working in the field as soon as possible, and you’ll be fully licensed for any entry-level dental hygienist job. On the other hand, obtaining a bachelor’s degree can open more doors as you’ll be considered to have a more specialized and advanced education. This degree is particularly useful if your planing on becoming a orthodontist.
BECOMING A ORTHODONTIST
Ethan your next step in becoming a orthodontist is to apply to dental school, you’ll have to write the DAT. This test is specifically designed to assess your potential to do well in the field of dentistry. Since dental schools are highly competitive, it’s imperative you maintain a high GPA throughout your undergrad to maximize your chances of getting into your dream dental school. And having experience as a hygienist will help your dental school application stand out.
After you've completed dental school your next step to becoming an orthodontist is completing an accredited orthodontics residency. It takes two or three years and it enhances your dentistry knowledge to manage and resolve issues regarding facial misalignment and tooth movement. While a two-year program allows students to graduate faster, a three-year one helps you gain a deeper knowledge of complex orthodontic issues. Three-year programs are more likely to also offer master's degrees in orthodontics.
Hope this is helpful Ethan
There are pros to both types of degrees. For instance, getting an associate’s degree allows you to begin working in the field as soon as possible, and you’ll be fully licensed for any entry-level dental hygienist job. On the other hand, obtaining a bachelor’s degree can open more doors as you’ll be considered to have a more specialized and advanced education. This degree is particularly useful if your planing on becoming a orthodontist.
BECOMING A ORTHODONTIST
Ethan your next step in becoming a orthodontist is to apply to dental school, you’ll have to write the DAT. This test is specifically designed to assess your potential to do well in the field of dentistry. Since dental schools are highly competitive, it’s imperative you maintain a high GPA throughout your undergrad to maximize your chances of getting into your dream dental school. And having experience as a hygienist will help your dental school application stand out.
After you've completed dental school your next step to becoming an orthodontist is completing an accredited orthodontics residency. It takes two or three years and it enhances your dentistry knowledge to manage and resolve issues regarding facial misalignment and tooth movement. While a two-year program allows students to graduate faster, a three-year one helps you gain a deeper knowledge of complex orthodontic issues. Three-year programs are more likely to also offer master's degrees in orthodontics.
Hope this is helpful Ethan
Thank You Berrett. Every person can make a difference, and every person should try.”
Doc Frick
John Herbst
Dental Assisting/Surgical Assisting
2
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
John’s Answer
Hello!
If you are interested in becoming a hygienist or an orthodontist, I would recommend you look into getting a job as a dental assistant first. The great thing about assisting is it will get you into the environment so you can see if you really want to pursue the field. Another great thing is that the requirements to assist a very minimal, and most of the training is just on the job. Since you are interested in hygiene or orthodontics, I would suggest you specifically look at doing hygiene assisting or orthodontic assisting. That will get you working directly with the people who have the job you want eventually, and you will be that more prepared. It's a great field and very fulfilling!
Hope that helps.
- John
If you are interested in becoming a hygienist or an orthodontist, I would recommend you look into getting a job as a dental assistant first. The great thing about assisting is it will get you into the environment so you can see if you really want to pursue the field. Another great thing is that the requirements to assist a very minimal, and most of the training is just on the job. Since you are interested in hygiene or orthodontics, I would suggest you specifically look at doing hygiene assisting or orthodontic assisting. That will get you working directly with the people who have the job you want eventually, and you will be that more prepared. It's a great field and very fulfilling!
Hope that helps.
- John
Krista Goss
Dental Hygienist
2
Answers
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Updated
Krista’s Answer
Ethan - going to school for dental hygiene is a great option to open the door to being an orthodontist! I agree with Doc Frick in that there are pros and cons to both degrees. While a bachelor's degree can open more doors and give more opportunity in the future it does not necessarily help you stand out from other hygienists starting out. In clinical practice experience means more than which degree you have. That being said, I would suggest looking into an associate's degree initially. It is generally more affordable and you can get a job immediately after 2 years, but you can still complete your bachelor's degree in dental hygiene or something that may be better to help you prepare for DAT and dental school. Another suggestion is to start networking! Call local offices and see if you can do some shadowing, and then you'll be able to see first hand how the offices really run and then you can pick everyone's brains on what they think.
Best of luck, you're choosing a great career path!
Best of luck, you're choosing a great career path!
Doreen Denisty
Dental Assistant Supervisor
7
Answers
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Updated
Doreen’s Answer
What a wonderful decision you have made. I worked in an Orthodontist office as a Expanded Function Dental Assistant for 23 years. It most definitely is the highlight of my career. I absolutely loved it. When you see first had how the kids open up as their smile begins to change is so rewarding. I personally don't see a need at all to do hygiene. I'd concentrate on a 4 year degree with all the prerequisites you need. Then pick a great Dental school. UOP is one of the best. Once you become a Dentist (doesn't matter what state) you can work for the federal government in Indian Health Service and be sponsored. They will pay your way to Ortho school and you'll gain tons of experience along the way. Once you've repaid by practicing 4 years for them you can go anywhere!! Orthodontics is probably my most favorite part of Dentistry. I wish you tons of luck! Don't give up. It'll be a great career.