As a US dentist and an international orthodontist with over 23 years of experience, and an international member of the World Federation of Orthodontists (WFO), and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).  I have been struggling to gain entry into orthodontic programs in order to become a U.S. certified orthodontist. There seems to be a biased barrier due to my age and extensive experience, which unfairly denies me the opportunity to contribute my skills and expertise.

It isn’t only my struggle; many international orthodontists  and other dental specialties face similar hurdles when trying to expand their career in the United States. In my case, orthodontics is a field that thrives on diversity and progressive techniques from all around the world, and limiting opportunities for international orthodontists hinders the development of this essential branch of dentistry.

We call for fairer opportunities in the field. Specifically, we strongly urge orthodontic schools to select at least one international orthodontist per year to their programs, or to establish a special program tailored to international orthodontists seeking US certification, or be able to take the American Board of Orthodontist (ABO) to prove that we know orthodontics, and be able to obtain our dream certification.

Our proposal is not to lower the standards of education, but rather to ensure equal chance for well-qualified international orthodontists to practice their specialty within the United States. Abundance of knowledge and experience should not be grounds for exclusion, but rather embraced and integrated into U.S orthodontic programs, hence enriching the field and improving patient care.

Please sign this petition to appeal to orthodontic education institutions and the government. Let us raise the standards and broaden the perspective of orthodontics in the United States by welcoming more talented international orthodontists.