Will orthodontists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Orthodontists score 35 out of 100 for AI exposure. AI helps with 63% of their task time, and they stay in charge. AI can do another 9%. 28% needs a person.
- 9% AI can do it
- 63% AI helps
- 28% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Lower than 54% of the 923 jobs we scored.
Task by task
We graded 11 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 1 of them, helps with 7 and leaves 3 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare diagnostic and treatment records. Chart notes and treatment records can be drafted from dictation. | 70% AI can do it |
| Study 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. AI can analyze X-rays, scans and records; orthodontist decides plan. | 55% AI helps |
| Provide patients with proposed treatment plans and cost estimates. AI can draft plans and cost estimates; clinician presents and approves. | 50% AI helps |
| Coordinate orthodontic services with other dental and medical services. AI can draft referrals and scheduling; coordination needs people. | 40% AI helps |
| Diagnose teeth and jaw or other dental-facial abnormalities. AI can flag imaging findings, but diagnosis needs clinical judgement. | 35% AI helps |
| Advise patients to comply with treatment plans. AI can draft reminders and education; counselling stays human. | 30% AI helps |
| Design and fabricate appliances, such as space maintainers, retainers, and labial and lingual arch wires. Software aids digital setups; wire bending and fabrication stay manual. | 28% AI helps |
| Instruct dental officers and technical assistants in orthodontic procedures and techniques. AI can build training materials; hands-on teaching stays human. | 25% AI helps |
| Examine patients to assess abnormalities of jaw development, tooth position, and other dental-facial structures. In-person hands-on exam of jaws and teeth. | 8% Needs a person |
| Adjust dental appliances to produce and maintain normal function. Hands-on adjustment of appliances in the mouth. | 5% Needs a person |
| Fit dental appliances in patients' mouths to alter the position and relationship of teeth and jaws or to realign teeth. Physically fitting appliances in a patient's mouth. | 4% Needs a person |
How orthodontists compare
All jobs (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $289,140 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 6,210 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +6.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Fit and adjust fixed braces and aligners manually in patients' mouths
- Read cephalometric tracings in Dolphin Imaging and Compu-Ceph
- Bend labial and lingual arch wires for each patient
- Review AI-drafted treatment plans and sign off before presenting costs
- Hold clinical judgement on jaw growth and malocclusion diagnosis
- Teach hands-on bonding and wire technique to dental assistants
Safer roles nearby
5 related jobs with lower scores.
Questions about orthodontists and AI
Will AI replace orthodontists?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly preparing diagnostic and treatment records and drafting treatment plans with cost estimates. The hands-on work stays with orthodontists, because fitting and adjusting appliances in a patient's mouth needs a person in the chair.
Which orthodontist tasks is AI taking over?
Record keeping is the first to go. Chart notes and treatment records, rated 70 out of 100 for exposure, can be drafted from dictation. Plan drafting follows at 50, since AI can produce treatment plans and cost estimates for the orthodontist to review before the patient sees them.
Which orthodontist tasks stay human?
Hands-on work stays human. Fitting appliances, rated 4 out of 100 for exposure, and adjusting them, rated 5, need a clinician's hands in the mouth. Examining jaw development in person, rated 8, also stays with the orthodontist because it depends on touch and direct observation.
How can orthodontists stay valuable as AI takes on records?
Spend the hours AI frees on the tasks that score lowest for exposure. Keep fitting and adjusting braces and aligners manually, rated 4 and 5 out of 100, and bend arch wires for each patient. Check AI-drafted plans in Dolphin Imaging or Compu-Ceph before signing off, and teach dental assistants bonding and wire technique in person.
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Next steps for orthodontists
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