THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORTHODONTISTS
It was back in 1900 when the American Association of Orthodontists was established and started with an aim to serve as the professional association for orthodontists in the US. Today, almost 95% of orthodontists in the United States hold membership in this professional, trusted and renowned association for orthodontists. Boasting around 16,000 members that include orthodontists from the US, Canada and other countries, the American Association of Orthodontists has headquarters in Creve Coeur, Missouri. This professional association also enjoys affiliation with the Canadian Association of Orthodontists and is known for supporting research and educational work that aim at leading to exceptional standards of patient care while promoting public awareness regarding the requirements and advantages of orthodontic treatment.
Basically, an orthodontist is a dental professional who specializes in diagnosing, treating as well as preventing orthodontic issues or serious dental problems that affect an individual’s quality of life. The problems treated by orthodontists typically include tooth misalignment and any form of jaw and facial irregularities. The specialization to become an orthodontist requires at least two or more years of study in a residency program that has a valid accreditation status. After the completion of this training, a dentist becomes an “orthodontist” and it is only then, when he/she can apply to become a member of AAO or the American Association of Orthodontists. Since an orthodontist is already a dentist, orthodontists in the United States may also be members of the American Dental Association.
In an attempt to achieve their goal of promoting public awareness regarding the qualifications and educational training orthodontists have to go through, this professional association has recently introduced their multi-million dollar campaign. From T.V. commercials to online resources like MyLifeMySmile.org, the American Association of Orthodontists wants to leave no stone unturned in changing the general perception that orthodontists are just some dentists who put braces on people’s teeth. In fact, the main goal of this campaign is to make the public understand that orthodontists are professionally trained specialists who work with patients from all age groups to help them overcome dental problems like tooth and jaw misalignment while helping them maintain good oral hygiene practices.
Acknowledging the way oral health is linked to our overall health, the valuable campaign started by the American Association of Orthodontists wants to promote the idea that a healthy smile is synonymous to a healthy life. Named as the “My Life, My Smile” campaign, this a special movement by AAO to specifically target the adult market in addition to focusing on the requirement of specialist training along with 2+ years of academic study for qualifying orthodontists. No doubt, through this campaign, the American Association of Orthodontists wants to reaffirm its role as the chief and reliable source of all kinds of details and information regarding orthodontics as well as oral health.
