As with any profession, there are certain professional organizations to which qualified individuals can seek and attain membership. Usually these professional societies are established to provide continuing education, advocacy for the field or discipline, legal and political lobbying, ethical and professional standards and/or the verification of professional competence. The professional organizations to which a dentist or orthodontist belongs says something about the relative stature and professional commitment of that dentist. While membership in professional organizations is not always proof of any one asset or skill, a curriculum vitae that includes membership (or even a leadership position) in a professional society does say something about the orthodontist.
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association is the granddaddy of them all. Analogous to the American Medical Association (AMA) for physicians, the American Dental Association or ADA is the premier professional society for all dentists and dental professionals. Virtually any dental student, general dentist and dental specialist will be a member of the American Dental Association. Membership in this professional society is more or less a given. If your dentist is not a member, you should probably find out why not.
Academy of General Dentistry
The Academy of General Dentistry is the “only organization exclusively dedicated to serving the needs and interests of the general dentist” according to its website. The Academy of General Dentistry is the world’s second largest dental association after the American Dental Association. This professional organization provides continuing education programs and publishes journals focused on the needs and issues of general dentists. While specialist dentists are eligible for and may have membership in this professional organization, it mostly caters to general dentists.
American Association of Orthodontists
Just as the Academy of General Dentistry serves the needs of the general dentist, the American Association of Orthodontists is a professional organization that serves the needs of orthodontists. While the patient website for the American Association of Orthodontists is fairly lean, it does cover some of the highlights of the field of orthodontics. The member website for this professional society is more complete and includes resources for advanced training, career development, clinical and scientific journal access and the publishes the peer-reviewed journal American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Unfortunately the site is not patient friendly (probably by design) and most areas are only open to members.
American Board of Orthodontics
The American Board of Orthodontics is narrower in its scope compared to the previous three professional organizations. The American Board of Orthodontics is concerned with testing and certification of orthodontists, primarily. It is the body that develops and administers the written and clinical board examinations. It also serves as a clearinghouse for names of orthodontists that are board certified in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics.
International Association for Orthodontics
The International Association for Orthodontics is headquartered in the United States but was established to expand and equalize the practice of orthodontics throughout the countries of the world. This professional organization was established in 1961, shortly after American Association of Orthodontists. Membership in the International Association for Orthodontics usually indicates a desire to elevate the practice and profession on an international level. The World Federation of Orthodontists has asimilar mission and intent but is a much younger professional society.
[S1]Link to “who is an orthodontist”
[S2]Link to “Who is an orthodontist”