Orthodontics
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A special dimension of dentistry
Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry consisting of the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities.
All orthodontic specialists are first trained as dentists. A four-year undergraduate course leads to the D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree, which allows for the practice of general dentistry.
Specialization in orthodontics requires a graduate course in an advanced study program of at least 2 years (Certificate in Orthodontics) or 3 years (Master of Dental Medicine, Orthodontic option).
This specialized course includes topics as diverse as genetics, embryology, human growth and development, biophysics and biomechanics. Only dentists who have taken this specialized course can advertise as “orthodontists”. All dentists graduating from the dental specialty programs (orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, endodontics, oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, community dental health) must pass the Fellowship Examination of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada in order to be recognized as a specialist in their respective fields by the respective provincial professional corporation. In Quebec, the Ordre des dentistes du Québec governs the dental profession.
http://www.rcdc.ca/fr/fellowship
A little history
Dr. Edward H. Angle is considered the father of the specialty of orthodontics. In 1892, he was the first to devote himself entirely to the teaching and practice of orthodontics. He was then a professor at the University of Minnesota. In 1900, he founded a private orthodontic teaching school in St. Louis. Dr. Angle described three classes of malocclusions based on the relationship between the upper and lower 1st molars.
Class I: normal molar relationship (no anteroposterior shift), but presence of dental irregularities, rotations, ectopias, space problems.
Class II: the lower dentition is shifted posteriorly (backwards or “distal”) with respect to the upper dentition, with or without dental irregularities.
Class III: the lower dentition is shifted anteriorly (forward or “mesial”) with respect to the upper dentition, with or without dental irregularities.
For more information on Dr. Angle’s life, please visit :
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