Are all orthodontists Board Certified?
We know you wouldn’t choose a physician who was not Board-Certified, so why choose an orthodontist who is not Board-certified? Did you know that not all orthodontists are board-certified and that over the years there have been different routes, of varying difficulty, to certification?
Until 2019, only 20% of local orthodontists were Board Certified–Dr. Barefoot and Dr. Theroux among them. Not only were written exams required, but orthodontists had to present 6-10 difficult cases which they had themselves treated to essentially perfection, then pass an oral examination regarding these treatments.
The clinical competency assessment proved too difficult for all but the most skilled orthodontists, resulting in a small percentage of doctors being board certified. Dr. Barefoot and Dr. Theroux both passed this process—on their first attempt!
In 2019, the assessment of the orthodontist’s clinical skill was dropped from the process as it was deemed to be prohibitively difficult. It wasn’t for Dr. Theroux and Dr. Barefoot!
Though Dr. Donahue became board certified after the process had already changed, she has amazing clinical skills and we are quite certain she would have passed the requirements of the former process!
Total Orthodontics is the only area practice to have THREE full-time Board-certified orthodontists. You simply cannot find an office with doctors who are more qualified.
How many certifying boards are recognized by the American Dental Association in the specialty of orthodontics?
One. The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is the only certifying board in the specialty that is recognized by the American Dental Association. The ABO was founded in 1929 and is the oldest specialty board in dentistry. The board’s purpose is to elevate the quality of orthodontic care for the public by promoting excellence through certification, education, and professional collaboration.
