Dental students' interest in orthodontic careers: do orthodontic-related experiences and faculty and practitioner role models matter?

To assess the percentage of dental students interested in orthodontics and likely to apply to orthodontic residency programs, the role of orthodontic-related experiences, and of orthodontic faculty and practitioner role models for student career decision-making.

This study had a cross-sectional design. A total of 335 students from seven U.S. dental schools responded to an anonymous web-based survey.

35% were much/very much interested in becoming orthodontists and 26% were likely to apply for this specialty training. A total of 80.1% had orthodontic treatment, 58.7% knew an orthodontist in their community, 44% had shadowed an orthodontist, and 10.8% had worked in an orthodontic practice before dental school. Respondents evaluated orthodontic practitioners more positively than orthodontic faculty. They considered practitioners as more compassionate providers than faculty members (5-point scale with 5 = agree strongly: mean = 4.25 vs 3.83; P < .001), making more of a difference in their patients' lives (4.44 vs 4.05; P < .001), and as better role models (4.21 vs 3.94; P < .001) who encouraged students more to pursue orthodontics (4.03 vs 3.65; P < .001). Their interest in becoming an orthodontist and in applying for an orthodontic residency program correlated with educational experiences (r = 0.35; P < .001 / r = 0.34; P < .001) and positive impressions of orthodontic faculty (r = 0.23; P < .001 / r = 0.22; P < .001) and practicing orthodontists (r = 0.29; P < .001 / r = 0.27; P < .001).

Better understanding of factors motivating dental students to pursue orthodontics is crucial. Orthodontic practitioners and faculty play an important role in this context.