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Orthodontist

Healthcare

Examine, diagnose, and treat dental malocclusions and oral cavity anomalies. Design and fabricate appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance.

ScienceAllied Health

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities.
  2. 2Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures.
  3. 3Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth.
  4. 4Study diagnostic records, such as medical or dental histories, plaster models of the teeth, photos of a patient's face and teeth, and X-rays, to develop patient treatment plans.
  5. 5Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function.
  6. 6Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates.
  7. 7Advise patients to comply with treatment plans.
  8. 8Prepare diagnostic and treatment records.
  9. 9Instruct dental officers and technical assistants in orthodontic procedures and techniques.
  10. 10Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical services.
  11. 11Design and fabricate appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Doctor
  • Orthodontist
  • Orthodontists
  • Orthodontic Dentist
  • Orthodontics Doctor
  • Orthodontic Specialist
  • Pediatric Orthodontist
  • Board Certified Orthodontist
  • Dental Treatment Coordinator
  • Invisible Braces Orthodontist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationPost-doctoral training

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BiologyDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Medicine and Dentistry99%

    BiologyChemistry

  • Customer and Personal Service85%
  • English Language74%

    English

  • Biology74%

    BiologyAdditional Science

  • Computers and Electronics65%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Mathematics64%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Dentist

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Orthodontists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org