Qualifications
You're looking at between 10 and 12 years of higher education to become an orthodontist, so you'd better like school (especially math and science). You'll need four years for your B.S. degree (you can get a B.A., but it's not recommended). Biology and Health Sciences are some of the more popular undergraduate majors if you want to go into the dental field.
You'll then take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and score super high to get into dental school. A ton of them exist, but UCLA, USC, and the University of Florida typically rank pretty high.
After four years in dental school, you’ll come out with either a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine).
You’ll then need to go for postgraduate training in an accredited orthodontics program for another 2-3 years, depending on the program. You’ll come out with a Master’s Degree in oral biology and you’ll have to do your residency and appear before the board to get licensed.
All of this schooling can add up, but considering how much braces cost, you’ll be able to earn enough to pay off your student loans in no time.