Orthodontic competency in predoctoral education in American dental schools

Predoctoral orthodontic education is evolving in the United States to reflect the move towards competency-based education. This trend focuses on teaching to competency in an area or procedure. In orthodontics, this creates a dilemma for the educator in determining what orthodontic competency actually is and how to achieve it. A survey of United States orthodontic departments was conducted to aid in examining the change toward competency-based education in predoctoral clinical orthodontics. The results demonstrated a large amount of diversity regarding both the definition and the use of competencies. The most recent US accreditation standards and guidelines are moving away from specific treatment techniques and more towards management and recognition of malocclusions for the recently-graduated general dentist.