Skills
Orthodontist Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in orthodontists, and how to build and show them.
What skills do orthodontists need?
Orthodontists need technical skills such as orthodontic diagnosis, biomechanics, and bracket placement, plus people skills like communication with families and patience. They also use tools such as Brackets and wires and Intraoral scanners.
Technical (hard) skills
- Orthodontic diagnosis
- Biomechanics
- Bracket placement
- Aligner planning
- Cephalometric analysis
- Practice management
People (soft) skills
- Communication with families
- Patience
- Leadership
- Attention to detail
Tools, equipment and technology
- Brackets and wires
- Intraoral scanners
- Clear aligner software
- Cephalometric X-rays
- Orthodontic pliers
- Practice software
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how orthodontists put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Orthodontic diagnosis” and “Biomechanics.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “communication with families,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as American Board of Orthodontics certification near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our orthodontist glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Orthodontist training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.