The History Of Orthodontia

The process of teeth straightening has been around since Hippocrates wrote about his idea in 400 B.C. Even though Hippocrates had ideas of teeth straightening processes, orthodontia did not emerge as a separate area of dentistry until the 1800s. It was not until the founding of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) that orthodontia was officially recognized as the first specialty of dentistry (“Orthodontists,” Encyclopedia). In the early years of orthodontia, braces were made of pallid metals and took a long amount of time to place on a patient. “In the 1960s, it may have taken nearly a whole day for an orthodontist to put braces on a person’s teeth” (“Orthodontists,” Encyclopedia). Luckily, technology continued to transform orthodontia

The U.S. Department of Labor states that the mean annual earnings for orthodontists were $196,270 in 2013; however, the earnings can be influenced by viridity of the worker, size of the office, and the location of the office. Orthodontists who have more experience generally have a higher income and orthodontists who practice in the growing suburbs generally have more business than those in deficient urban areas or underpopulated rural areas (“Orthodontists,” Encyclopedia

Throughout their years of practicing, orthodontists must also attend workshops, seminars, and study clubs to stay connected with other orthodontists and their ideas (“Orthodontists,” Exploring 633). Even after the ten years of schooling following high school, orthodontists are never able to cease their learning. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of orthodontists is predicted to grow sixteen percent from 2012 to 2022, which is faster than the average for all careers (“Orthodontists” Encyclopedia). Many believe the reason for this growth is due to society’s emphasis on physical attractiveness. Because people want to look most attractive, they will most likely desire treatment in order to prevent their smile from discomfiting them. Not only will the business of orthodontics remain static, but the productivity will increase with the development of new technology. New inventions will allow orthodontists to treat more patients in a shorter amount of time, which will allow their practices to expand (“Orthodontists” Encyclopedia). People will always have teeth; therefore, dental care will always be a