How to get into an orthodontics residency
Bites, jaw growth and tooth movement. Programs run at least 24 months; many take part in the Dental Match. Facts on this page link to the ADA, CODA, ADEA or the program that says them, checked 2026-10-22. Every program sets its own rules, so confirm on each program's page before you apply.
🗺 70 Orthodontics programs on the map📮 ADEA PASS Program Finder ↗
1 What the specialty does
Orthodontists diagnose, prevent and correct problems with how the teeth meet (malocclusion) and with the growth and position of the jaws and facial structures.
Day to day that means braces, aligners and appliances for children, teens and adults, often working with oral surgeons and other specialists on bigger jaw problems.
2 Program length and degrees
CODA's standards require an orthodontic program to last at least 24 months and 3,700 scheduled hours. Many run longer: the University of Pittsburgh, University of Kentucky and University of Michigan list 36, 34 and 35 months on ADEA PASS.
Graduates earn a certificate, and many programs also award a master's degree; some award only the master's. Check each program's listing.
Our residency map shows 70 CODA-accredited orthodontics programs, from CODA's list as of 2026-09-30.
3 How you apply
Many programs take applications through ADEA PASS, the American Dental Education Association's centralized application for advanced dental education. ADEA says PASS opens the second Wednesday of May and closes the second Friday of February. Each program sets its own deadline inside that window; in the 2026–27 cycle the first program deadline was July 1, 2026.
PASS asks every applicant for an Institution Evaluation Form (the "dean's letter") and three Professional Evaluation Forms, with room for two more optional ones. All of them go to every program you choose.
The ADEA PASS Program Finder lists the programs that take part in PASS. A program that is not listed there takes applications another way, and its own website explains how.
Some programs fill their positions through the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (the "Dental Match"), which the ADA describes as the program that matches applicants to postdoctoral programs. Each program's ADEA PASS listing has a "Match Participating" line that says yes or no.
Orthodontics is a Match field in practice: every orthodontic program we checked on ADEA PASS (Pittsburgh, Michigan and Kentucky) was marked as Match participating, and Pittsburgh says all of its positions are awarded through the Match. Still, check each program.
4 The ADAT for orthodontics
The ADAT (Advanced Dental Admission Test) is the ADA's admission test for advanced programs. The ADA accepts applications to take it from March 1 to August 31. Whether you need it depends entirely on the program.
10 orthodontics programs in our ADAT requirement guide, read on each program's own page in Oct 2026:
- University of Puerto Rico – Orthodontics: required
- Tufts – Advanced Education in Orthodontics (PASS application page): recommended
- Case Western – Orthodontics Residency (MSD/Certificate): optional / accepted
- Columbia CDM – Orthodontics Program: optional / accepted
- Ohio State – Graduate Orthodontics (MS/Certificate): optional / accepted
- UIC – Orthodontics Advanced Specialty Training Program: optional / accepted
- University of Detroit Mercy – Graduate Orthodontic Program: optional / accepted
- University of Kentucky – Orthodontics: optional / accepted
- University of Washington – Graduate Orthodontics: optional / accepted
- University of Minnesota – Orthodontics: not stated
The ADA's own Advanced Dental Admissions Test (ADAT) ADAT Programs 2025 (updated 06/26/2025) lists 3 orthodontics programs under “require the ADAT”: Saint Barnabas Hospital – Orthodontics; University of Minnesota – Orthodontics; University of Puerto Rico – Orthodontics. Some programs' own pages now say something different, so check the program.
5 A D1–D4 timeline
General guidance; dated items (the ADAT window, ADEA PASS) are from the ADA and ADEA.
D1
- Spend time in your school's specialty clinics and talk with residents and faculty about what the work is like.
- Keep your grades strong from the first semester.
D2
- Narrow to one or two fields and find a faculty mentor in each.
- Start a research or case project you can finish and present.
D3
- Make a list of target programs and note what each one asks for: tests, letters, deadlines, and whether it is in the Match.
- If any program wants the ADAT, apply to test early: the ADA takes ADAT applications from March 1 to August 31.
- In the spring, ask three faculty members for Professional Evaluation Forms and let your dean's office know you will need an Institution Evaluation Form.
- Visit or extern at programs that offer it, and draft your personal statement and CV.
- Check whether your programs want the ADAT or the GRE; several orthodontic listings on ADEA PASS name one or both.
Summer before D4
- Submit ADEA PASS as early as you can after it opens in May; some program deadlines fall in early summer.
- If any of your programs take part in the Dental Match, register for it as well.
D4
- Interview through the fall and winter.
- Follow each program's offer process, or submit your Match rank list in the order you truly prefer.
- Finish your board exam and graduation requirements.
6 What makes an application competitive
General guidance, not program rules or statistics. Each program weighs things differently.
- Grades and class standing: strong, steady grades from the first semester help most in the most selective fields. If your school grades pass/fail, programs lean more on the dean's evaluation, faculty letters and interviews.
- Letters: ask faculty who have watched you work in the clinic or the lab, and ask early. A letter from someone in the field you are applying to carries weight.
- Interviews: programs meet you before they rank or offer. Practice answering out loud why this field, why this program, and how you handle a hard case or a mistake.
- Tests: orthodontic programs differ on the ADAT. Some require it, some accept it, and some do not mention it (see the program list below). The ADA says programs use the ADAT in different ways: some combine scores with the rest of your file, and some only use them to break a tie between equally qualified applicants. Check each program's page.
- Research and exposure: a finished project, time in your school's orthodontic clinic, and a mentor who knows your work all help show you understand the field.
7 How to prepare
Get to know the orthodontic residents at your school; they can tell you which programs value research, externships or the ADAT.
- Residency Application Prep course: ADEA PASS, letters, the personal statement, interviews and the Match.
- INBDE Board Prep course: Prepare for the INBDE, the licensure exam many programs list among their tests.
- What's on the ADAT (free outline): Sections, timing and topics from the ADA's candidate guide.
- Full-length ADAT simulations: Timed practice tests (Boards Pro).
- Clinical trainers: Free tooth ID, radiograph, local anesthesia and treatment-planning drills.
- Which residencies require the ADAT: Each program's requirement in its own words.
- Dental Mock Interviews ↗: Practice residency interviews out loud.
8 FAQ
How long is an orthodontic residency?
At least 24 months and 3,700 scheduled hours under CODA's standards. The three programs we checked on ADEA PASS list 34 to 36 months.
Do orthodontics programs use the Match?
Most do. Every orthodontic program we checked on ADEA PASS was marked as Match participating, but check the "Match Participating" line on each program's listing.
Do I need the ADAT for orthodontics?
It depends on the program. Some require it, some accept it, and some do not use it. The list on this page shows what each program we checked says on its own site.
Can I apply while I am still in dental school?
Yes. The ADA lists third- and fourth-year dental students interested in postgraduate training among the people who should take the ADAT, and ADEA PASS opens in May, so dental students can apply in the summer before their final year. Some programs also take practicing dentists.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-22. Program counts and ADAT lists come from our own data, linked above.
- ADA National Commission: Recognized Dental Specialties
- CODA: Accreditation Standards for Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
- ADEA PASS: Applying (cycle dates, fees, evaluations)
- ADEA PASS Program Finder
- ADA: Manage your DENTPIN (ADEA PASS and the Dental Match)
- ADEA PASS listing: University of Pittsburgh, Orthodontics
- ADEA PASS listing: University of Michigan, Orthodontics
- ADEA PASS listing: University of Kentucky, Orthodontics
- ADA: Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)
- ADA: ADAT Programs 2025 (PDF)
Other residency guides
Oral Surgery · Endodontics · Periodontics · Pediatric Dentistry · Prosthodontics · Oral Pathology · Oral Radiology · Dental Public Health · Dental Anesthesiology · Oral Medicine · Orofacial Pain · GPR · AEGD