A dentist who went back to school to straighten teeth. One of the best-paid jobs in Canada, and one of the longest roads.
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What you earn and what it costs to get there.
Typical
$350,000
New specialist
$250,000
Practice owner
$500,000
One of the highest-paid jobs in the country. Almost every orthodontist owns or co-owns a clinic within a few years. Pay varies by province and by how many patients a clinic sees. Job Bank's census-based figures for orthodontists are much lower, a median of about $110,000, because they lump in part-timers and count only employment income, not clinic profits.
$250,000 to $300,000
First years as an associate or a new owner
Associates are paid a share of what they bill. Smaller cities and towns often pay more because there are fewer orthodontists to go around.
$400,000 to $600,000+
Established owners, after expenses
A busy clinic treats hundreds of patients at a time, each paying several thousand dollars over about 2 years. The catch is on the way in: residency usually charges tuition and pays little or nothing.
Tuition, fees, exams and kit. Not rent, food or travel
The low end is two years of undergraduate study, a four year dental degree at the cheaper Canadian schools, a two year orthodontic residency at the cheaper end, the NDSE (National Dental Specialty Examination) and your first year of specialty licence and insurance. The high end is a full undergraduate degree, dental school at the priciest schools and a three year residency at the top rate. The residency is the part people do not expect: unlike medical residency it is usually unpaid and charges tuition, so you are spending for two or three more years rather than earning. Total debt of $300,000 to $500,000 by the end is common, and interest on that is not included in these numbers.
Debt of $300,000 to $500,000 by the end is common. The pay clears it, but it takes years.
Ownership
Almost every orthodontist owns a clinic. It is an asset you sell when you retire.
Nothing automatic as an associate
Self-employed: you buy your own health plan and save for your own retirement.
Predictable schedule
Weekdays, no nights, almost no emergencies.
Teaching
Part-time posts at a dental school add a salary and a pension.
The exact path from high school to qualified.
You become a dentist first. There is no shortcut.
High school
Grades 11 and 12
Biology, chemistry, physics, math and English with top marks.
University, then the DAT (dental aptitude test)
2 to 4 years
2 to 4 years of science courses, then the dental admission test.
Dental school
4 years
4 years for a DDS (doctor of dental surgery) or DMD (doctor of dental medicine). You graduate as a general dentist.
Orthodontic residency
2 to 3 years, plus any practice years
2 to 3 years at a dental school, usually with a master's degree attached. Only a handful of seats per program. Most programs prefer applicants with a year or two of dental practice first.
Specialty exam and licence
A few months
Pass the NDSE (National Dental Specialty Examination), then register as a specialist with your provincial dental college.
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Orthodontics is applied physics: forces on teeth over time.
Math
Calculus and functions.
Art or design
You will spend a career judging symmetry and shape.
Only a dentist who finished an accredited residency, passed the NDSE (National Dental Specialty Examination) and registered as a specialist with a provincial dental college can call themselves an orthodontist. General dentists may offer braces or clear aligners, but they cannot use the title. Specialty registration moves between provinces without re-examination.
Residency programs are small. Some of the Canadian ones:
University of Toronto, Western University
Ontario
Université de Montréal
Quebec, in French
UBC (University of British Columbia), University of Alberta, University of Manitoba
Western Canada
US programs
Many Canadians train in the US, where there are far more seats, then return.
Things you don't need, but that help.
Owning more than one clinic
Multi-location practices are common in cities.
Clear aligners
Invisalign and similar systems are a big part of modern practice. The extra certification is quick.
Surgical cases
Working with oral surgeons on jaw cases is rarer and pays well.
Teaching and research
A part-time faculty post at a dental school.
Shadow an orthodontist
Do it in high school or university, and again in dental school.
Be a strong general dentist first
Residency programs weigh your dental school marks and hand skills heavily.
Research during dental school
A published paper helps a residency application a lot.
Comfort with running a business
You will be an employer within a few years.
Many general dentists now offer clear aligners without doing an orthodontic residency. They cannot call themselves orthodontists and should not take complex cases, but it is a way to do some of this work after dental school alone.
Day to day, pros and cons, where you'd work.
Orthodontists see a lot of patients: 40 to 80 in a day is normal, most for a 10 to 20 minute adjustment. Assistants do much of the hands-on work; you check, plan and make the key changes. New patient consults and treatment planning fit between adjustments. Days end around 5. Many clinics close Fridays.
The good
The hard parts
Like the field but not this exact job?
Things people don't tell you.
A full course of braces or aligners in Canada costs several thousand dollars and usually takes around 2 years. Provincial health plans do not cover it, and most dental insurance covers only part.
A large and growing share of orthodontic patients are adults. Clear aligners made treatment invisible enough that grown-ups sign up.
Canada trains only a few dozen orthodontists a year. Many applicants apply more than once, or go to the US where there are far more programs.
Every orthodontist in Canada is a fully licensed dentist who went back to school. You can fall back on general dentistry at any point, which is a safety net most long training paths do not have.
Last checked September 2026. Pay figures are typical full-time annual amounts in Canadian dollars, based on Government of Canada Job Bank wage data and published salary grids. They vary by province, employer and experience. Tuition is for domestic students.