Orthodontic courses are ever evolving and bettering as we speak. As we know, orthodontics is not a fresh concept and has been present since the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Wired cables and other binding objects were used to straighten the teeth and this took place way before the discovery of orthodontic appliances. Of course back then it was not called orthodontics, just plain old dental terms.
The evolution of orthodontics fanned out as a separate dentistry course with the advent of new technology and course division strategies. Orthodontics began as a specialisation course with sporadic pupils, but as the professional aspect of the course gained rigor, the slots were being filled to the brim. Especially in terms of the orthodontic diploma, the slots get filled very easily.
Students with a diploma in orthodontics have proven to be effective in the professional field and have secured high end salary jobs.
With the growing scope of this specialised discipline, there may be some unanswered questions which you might need the answers to prior to opting for this field.
To clear your doubts regarding orthodontics, here are a few frequently asked questions-
- How much money can you earn as an orthodontist?
This is one of the ,most frequently asked questions about orthodontics. Is spending all your time and effort into mastering a specialised form of discipline worth it? What is the money like?
Well, we are here to tell you that you have made the right decision by choosing this field. On an average, the best paid orthodontists make upto $208,000 per year, while the lowest paid ones make up to $148,000 per year.
So, if you are putting in your blood,sweat and tears into this discipline, continue doing that, because you will be set for life.
- What is the demand figure like for orthodontists?
The demand for orthodontists has been stagnant since 2004. So, that means that the seats available for this position are definitely limited.
However, there is said to have been a recorded stimulation in the demand for the same in the year 2018. Almost by 18%. The best part about this fact is that the demand is regularly spiking, which leaves more positions for budding talents to procure them.
- Which specific task does an orthodontist specialize in?
Since orthodontics is a specific field of dentistry, an orthodontist is specifically equipped with tasks related to the dental discourse.
Orthodontics is taught as a separate and specialised subject with a 2 year diploma course, so an orthodontist has very specific functions related to the curriculum.
Some of their popular specialized tasks include aligning the jaws, Straightening the misaligned tooth bites, fixing crooked teeth and sometimes are equipped with finding solutions to sleep apnea. They are taught how to detect the problems related to the dental structure of a patient and to solve them using appropriate technique and tools.
- Do dentists get paid more or orthodontics?
This is an interesting question which has struck many doctors and a curious one at that. Aspiring medical students want to know the best jobs available in their field so they can make an unbiased decision regarding the same.
Even though orthodontics is a discipline which comes under the umbrella of dentistry, the former ends up earning the big bucks at the end of the day. Dentists earn upto $160,000 a year on an average, while an orthodontist earns upto $148,000-$208,000 in the same time span.
Conclusion
Given these answers to these frequently asked questions, you are the one who has to make a decision. If you wish to take it up, go through a postgraduate diploma in orthodontics and try securing the best of marks that you can.
Your career path in the same will soon blossom and you will not have regretted your decision.
