The American Board of Orthodontics was founded in 1929 and is the oldest specialty board in dentistry. The American Board of Orthodontics was first established by Dr. Albert Ketcham and several colleagues who believed that the specialty of orthodontics should have a certifying body. The original objectives of the ABO were stated in the charter of incorporation "to elevate the standards of the practice of orthodontia; to familiarize the public with its aims and ideals; to protect the public against irresponsible and unqualified practitioners."

The certificate issued by the Board was then, and has continued to signify, a certification of attainment. It does not confer any legal qualification, privilege, or license to practice orthodontics. It is not a professional or academic degree. In essence, Board certification is a process by which an individual orthodontist is voluntarily examined by his/her peers as to orthodontic knowledge and clinical skills. The passage of the examination process is a demonstration to the dental profession and the general public of the orthodontist's pursuit of continued proficiency and excellence in orthodontics.

The mission of The American Board of Orthodontics is to establish and maintain the highest standards of clinical excellence in orthodontics. In its mission statement, the Board clearly defines four objectives: 1) to evaluate the knowledge and clinical competency of graduates of accredited orthodontic programs; 2) to re-evaluate clinical competency throughout a Diplomate's career through recertification; 3) to contribute to the development of quality graduate, postgraduate, and continuing education programs in orthodontics; and 4) to contribute to certification expertise throughout the world.

English is the official language of The American Board of Orthodontics.

The American Board of Orthodontics was established on July 16, 1929 by the American Society of Orthodontia in Estes Park, Colorado. The name of the Society was changed to the American Association of Orthodontists in 1938. The Board continues to be sponsored by the American Association of Orthodontists. While autonomous in organization, the eight directors of the Board are nominated by the constituent organizations and elected by the House of Delegates of the American Association of Orthodontists.

The American Board of Orthodontics is the first specialty board in dentistry. At the time it was founded, the only two specialty boards in existence were in ophthalmology and otolaryngology. The new orthodontic board was patterned after their experience and operation.

Since 1929 the Board has continued to evolve. In the beginning, Directors of the Board were chosen because of their contributions to the specialty of orthodontics. At that time, there were no defined criteria for selection of Directors. The outgoing Director usually chose or greatly influenced the selection of the succeeding Director from that constituent of the American Association of Orthodontists. In addition, in the early days of the Board, many orthodontists were granted Diplomate status by credentialing.

In 1950 the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association recognized The American Board of Orthodontics as the official certifying agency in orthodontics. The Board is the only certifying board recognized by the Council on Dental Education of the American Dental Association for the specialty of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. After this recognition, the Board gained more prestige and more orthodontists chose to begin the process of board certification. The Board receives applications, determines eligibility and grants certification in accordance with the rules established by the American Dental Association.

In the 1950's and 1960's, a clinician desiring ABO certification wrote a thesis and also presented clinical case reports. There was no written examination. As the Board certification process developed, the need for a written examination was discussed and finally implemented in 1964. During the years from 1964 to 1978, the candidate could either write a thesis or take a written examination. The thesis requirement was eliminated in 1978. From that time on, candidates became certified in much the same way that they are presently, i.e. a written examination along with the presentation of clinical case reports.

Application

The first step of the certification process is an examination of the applicant's credentials. Only dentists who have completed an advanced education program in orthodontics approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association are eligible to apply for certification. Find Accredited Orthodontic Programs here

Written Examination

The written examination has evolved into a well-respected testing instrument that is now used by many graduate orthodontic programs to evaluate the didactic presentations of orthodontic information to their residents.

The Written Examination is composed of multiple-choice questions. Questions are related to topics that are required in orthodontic programs by the American Dental Association's Council on Dental Accreditation. A breakdown of questions for each topic of the examination may be found at Written Examination\Test Specifications. Specifications.

The source of examination questions come from submissions by orthodontic professionals and ABO Directors. Each question must be supported by literature references. The Board encourages the question writer to follow certain guidelines as described in an article published in September, 2004, entitled ABO invites questions for Phase II Examination (pdf).

ABO Directors on the Written Examination Committee study the questions and make decisions as to their suitability. The committee organizes and plans the content of the written exam. They continually evaluate past questions, decide on new questions and thoroughly study the fairness of each question and each exam from year to year.

For years the written examination has been offered at the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthodontists. The Board has now moved toward computerization of the written exam and the use of "testing centers" throughout the country which should enhance security, fairness and the convenience to the examinee.

Clinical Examination

The Clinical Examination has gone through many changes in criteria for the number, types and format of the presentation of the treated cases being presented by the examining orthodontist.

In 2005 the ABO announced dramatic changes in the process of certification. By 2009 all aspects of the new process will be implemented. The process begins with an Initial Certification Examination of the recently graduated orthodontist and utilizes cases that the orthodontist treated in their residencies. A ten year time-limited certificate is issued and the orthodontist must return by the expiration of the certificate to take the First Recertification Examination with a presentation of cases treated in private practice. A new ten year certificate is issued and the orthodontist will appear for Recertification Examinations on a ten year basis.

Each level of the Clinical Examination has its own set of examination details and particular requirements for case presentations. In general, the examinee will present required case reports with an oral defense of the treatment and an oral examination of cases presented by the Board for analysis.