Orthodontics

Length of Program: Three (3) years

Number of Positions: Four (4) for graduates of CODA-accredited dental schools holding U.S. citizenship or permanent residency supported by a stipend as noted below. 

Up to four (4) additional positions are available for international students who are graduates of non-CODA or CODA-accredited dental schools who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Click here for information about these positions. 

Financial Arrangement: UC Salary Breakdown

Postgraduates are required to pay tuition for the Master of Science (MS) in Oral Biology Program. For more information about these fees, please refer to the UCLA Graduate Division fees page. Domestic residents who meet the criteria of graduating from CODA-accredited dental schools and holding U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status are considered UCLA employees and are eligible for a significant discount in their Master’s tuition by applying for Academic Appointee Reduced Fee Enrollment.

Program Director: Dr. Sunil Kapila 
* See admissions page for contact info

Program Description:
UCLA’s Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Program is designed to train clinical specialists at the postgraduate level and includes extensive didactic, clinical, and research experience. Although the major study concentration is in orthodontics, research in any of the allied medical or dental sciences is acceptable. Successful trainees must complete the requirements for both the Master of Science (MS) degree in Oral Biology and the advanced education in orthodontics program in order to be awarded a certificate of completion for the orthodontic program.

The curriculum consists of subject matter that has direct application to clinical orthodontics and includes didactic instruction and seminars in: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment planning; applied clinical orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics; cephalometrics, 3D and CBCT imaging; biomechanics of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics; orthodontic materials; anatomy; growth and development; orthodontic literature review; interceptive orthodontics; interdisciplinary treatments including periodontics and prosthodontics; TMJ function and dysfunction; surgical orthodontics; craniofacial anomalies; principles of clear aligner therapy; embryology; practice management biostatistics; research design; and supervised research and manuscript preparation.

Concomitant with their formal education, postgraduates treat a range of simple to complex cases with various appliances including clear aligners, fixed appliances, growth modifiying appliances, temporary anchorage devices (TADs) and mini-screw skeletal expanders (MSE), amongst others. Postgraduates also attend regularly scheduled seminars of the UCLA Health System Craniofacial Team and participate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with various developmental anomalies in the UCLA Craniofacial Clinic and the orthodontics clinic. Postgraduates also participate in a interdisciplinary approach in the treatment and diagnosis of complex adult orofacial problems. Our postgraduates also have the opportunity to treat skeletal and dental problems in deciduous and mixed dentition. These course requirements and clinical experiences are consistent with the recommendations of the Council on Orthodontic Education of the American Dental Association of Orthodontics.

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Applicant Information

UCLA Orthodontics participates in ADEA PASS for the application process and in MATCH for matching of successful candidates in our domestic advanced education orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics program. Following your completed PASS application, selected candidates will be invited to interview. If you have been selected, you will be notified by telephone and/or email.

Timing of Interviews: Late September to early October 

Applicants will be notified of acceptance through the Match service. To find out when results will be available, please consult the Match service. A letter of acceptance signed by the Program Director and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will be issued upon acceptance. After being accepted, candidates must also apply to the Oral Biology MS Program before the application deadline of December 15.

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Accreditation Statement

The Advanced Education program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and has been granted the accreditation status of "Approval without Reporting Requirements”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653, by visiting www.ada.org/coda, or by mail at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678.