A change in the certification process by the American Board of Orthodontics.

The American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) celebrated 75 years of existence in 2004. In 1930, the ABO stated in its application for a charter of incorporation that its objectives were “to elevate the standards of the practice of orthodontia; to familiarize the public with its aims and ideals; to protect the public against irresponsible and unqualified practitioners . . . .” The ABO’s main objective has been and continues to be to achieve the highest standards of excellence in clinical orthodontics via certification. This objective has been enhanced to provide a method of repeatedly assuring that such standards prevail throughout a professional’s career using a process of recertification. The board’s vision is to welcome as many educationally qualified orthodontists into the process as possible. Its ultimate goal is to develop a system in which certification begins early in an orthodontist’s career and continues to be renewed via recertification during his or her clinical lifetime. In the 1930s, only a few orthodontic programs were associated with university-based dental schools, and most orthodontists were educated in proprietary schools or as preceptors. The ABO was formed to establish national standards for orthodontists through a testing process. Throughout its history, the ABO has modified the examination process, both to increase its efficiency and to encourage more practitioners to achieve board certification. For example, in 1973, the board began offering the Phase II written examination immediately after postdoctoral orthodontic education, rather