Dr. G. |
I am an orthodontist with offices in two western states in the U.S. I have been in practice for about 15 years. Many times we're asked as orthodontists how we like our jobs and what we do all day. I thought to answer those questions I would invite you to spend a day with me in my office and you can see just what it is that orthodontists do. I have a medium-sized practice in a city with a population of about 50,000 people. My day is probably fairly typical of orthodontists, with practices the same size as mine.
My day usually starts 30-45 minutes before we start seeing patients at 8:00 a.m. I check the schedule to make sure any special preparation for patients are made. I usually check my e-mail for messages from patients as they check our Web site. I am involved with the national orthodontic association, the American Association of Orthodontists, and I check for messages to check on progress of our projects. Orthodontics is a wonderful profession. There are many opportunities to serve it through service to the community and as a volunteer at the dental and orthodontic associations on local, state, regional and national levels.
Diagnostic records, such as x-rays, help the orthodontist form a treatment plan for each patient. |
I usually spend some time each morning reviewing the x-rays and pictures of patients who are beginning treatment. Careful measurements and observations are made from the
diagnostic records such as x-rays, molds of the teeth and photographs. Orthodontists use this information to understand what is happening below the gums. It also helps in forming a treatment plan for each patient to work toward a good bite and a pleasing facial appearance.
It's the careful diagnosis of the patient's orthodontic problems that makes it possible to develop the proper treatment for each person. This is the skill we have as orthodontists, that was developed in the two-to- three years of full-time, advanced training in a university-based orthodontic residency program that we had after we graduated from dental school. Orthodontists are a special kind of dentist—specialists who limit our practices to the treatment of misaligned teeth and guiding the growth of the bones of the face.
You are always learning as an orthodontist, which is one of the reasons I was attracted to the profession. Every day there is always something new and different. The braces may not change much, but each patient is different, and no two people get treated exactly the same way.
Dr. G.’s staff |
The staff gets here a little before eight o'clock and make sure the office is presentable and we're ready for the first patients. We visit for a few minutes and look at the schedule to make sure any patients with special needs are taken care of. We look to make sure any appliances that were sent out to the lab are ready, and that we have time to see any patients with emergency needs such as a loose bracket. By looking ahead in the day we can be prepared and make sure the day runs smoothly. New patients get special treatment from the staff and a tour of the office so they can be made to feel comfortable here. The staff set up instruments and supplies for anything special or out of the ordinary.
The staff set up instruments and supplies that will be used throughout the day. |
My staff is a very important part of our practice. Most of them have been with me for many years. They come from different working backgrounds and have experience in many different aspects of dentistry and business. I rely on them to take care of things around the office so that I can devote my attention to patient care. The staff will tell you what they do in another section of the Web site in case you are interested in a job as an orthodontic staff member.
We usually see quite a few patients in the early morning. Most of our patients attend school, so we try to arrange scheduling so that our patients don't have to miss school. We usually schedule patients whose appointments will take longer for a little later in the day. Careful and well-thought-out scheduling helps us to be efficient and lets us make better use of our patients’ time. It really helps if the patient arrives on time or just a little bit early so they can brush their teeth before we see them. We ask our patients to call ahead if something on their braces has come loose or broken so we can schedule a little extra time for repairs. A lot of our time is spent in adjusting the braces to keep the teeth moving properly. The staff especially spends time helping the patient learn how to care for their braces properly. Brushing is so important so that teeth stay healthy while the braces are on.
Most of Dr. G.’s patients attend school. |
We usually break for lunch around noon. Most days I grab some lunch and have a little rest. After a busy morning it feels good to just get off your feet. I catch up on the mail and return any phone calls from the morning. As specialists, we provide only part of the treatment for some patients and we spend a lot of time keeping patients’ dentists and other dental specialists informed about what's been done and what need to be done next. I enjoy the interaction with other healthcare providers making sure we are all doing what is best for the patient.
I sometimes meet with other doctors in this time. There is a group of dentists here in town that has been meeting once a month for the last 15 years. Our study group is a very important part of our practices. The study group is a chance for us to learn from each other and gives us a chance to learn about other areas of dentistry. The more I know about family dentistry the better orthodontist I can be. It is great to know how other aspects of dentistry can help my patients. I especially enjoy teaching the other dentists how orthodontics can make the treatment they provide for their patients easier or better. There are other dental specialists that meet with our group so I get to learn about a lot of different things. There is a group of orthodontists that I meet with also about every other month. We usually take a whole day for that and discuss patient treatments and issues that we have in running our offices. This is just one way that we all continue to learn and get better at what we do.
After lunch we see the patients with the longer appointments until school gets out. The longer appointments are usually the ones that we put braces on or take braces off. Then things really get busy around here. The time after school is scheduled for the short appointments again and we get to see a lot of kids. It is fun to hear about their day and what has been happening in their lives. You have to enjoy kids to be an orthodontist. We have three different high schools in our town and so something is always going on. As an orthodontist, you have the chance to really get to know your patients and see them grow up. A typical orthodontic treatment takes about two years, and we get to see our patients about every month or so. You usually only see your family dentist a couple of times a year. We enjoy these relationships with our patients and their families. We get to treat several kids in some families and so these relationships may go on for many years.
I have an outside lab that makes some of the appliances for my patients. I sometimes make an appliance for a patient if I need one in hurry or if it is something special that I don't want to send out. I enjoy the lab work I do. It is part of the many things you need to learn about to be a good orthodontist, and about being able to meet the needs of individual patients.
About one in five of Dr. G.’s patients is an adult. |
About 20 percent of my practice is adult patients. They're fun to treat also because they are so interested in what we're doing. We can usually take a little more time with them to show what we're doing if they are interested. Most adults have pretty flexible schedules and it seems like we see them more in the morning, although we try to accommodate their schedules the best that we can. We see our last patients around 4:30 p.m.
I usually spend an hour or so after we see patients working up treatment plans and looking at the x-rays of patients we've seen that day. I usually need to make a phone call or two to family dentists to keep them informed of their patients’ treatment progress and to discuss problems if they come up. I have to spend some time doing the office work for my practice. In actuality, we really run a small business with employees. Our business just happens to be straightening teeth. It takes several hours each week to pay the bills, administer the pay roll, make the bank deposits and make sure we are in compliance with the laws of the state. I can usually work those tasks in during the day, and I have staff perform many of these duties, but I spend a fair amount of time taking care of the business side of the practice. There is a lot that goes into running a business. There is always some kind of paper work it seems; it's just part of the job. We sometimes meet with sales people who supply us with the materials we use to treat patients or run our offices. These are scheduled well in advance so as not to interfere with the times we are with patients.
No two days are ever the same. As an orthodontist, my focus is my patients and doing the best job for them I can. While we are working toward their healthy, beautiful smiles, my staff and I try to be mindful of their needs by scheduling appointments at convenient times, keeping in touch with their dentists, and keeping up-to-date on my skills so that I give my patients the best result I can give them. It is a rewarding career.
If you would like information on how to have a career in orthodontics, either as an orthodontist or a staff member, please visit "Orthodontic Careers".
