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Ortho Staff Training

Bring foundational and advanced training to your orthodontic staff.

As an AAO member, you have access to a variety of complimentary and discounted training resources for your clinical and non-clinical staff roles.

Basic Training

Have you hired someone with no dental experience because they are fantastic with people? AAO has created these basic training videos and guides to give them an introduction to the terminology and equipment they will encounter in an orthodontic practice everyday. These can be used with every role in your practice. The first video is open access. To view the others, just register your staff in AAO Ortho Staff Club and they will receive their own AAO login which will give them access to these videos and more.

On the online learning site, new staff can also access a 5-part (ea 30 minutes) Chairside Basic Skills session and complete each session at their pace.

All videos and downloadable guides explain concepts in lay language while defining orthodontic terminology and using visual models, photos and animations where appropriate.

Bite Basics

Accompanied by a downloadable guide, the video explains what is meant by “bite” in orthodontics, what a malocclusion is and types of malocclusions. Categories of crossbite and open bite are also covered, along with normal occlusion and why a healthy bite is important. 

Video Length: 4:07

Orthodontic Appliance Basics

This video, which also has a downloadable guide, defines the most common orthodontic appliances including clear aligners and conventional braces, and the components of braces and their purposes. Elastics, expanders, separators, TADs, retainers and other appliances and treatment tools are also covered with explanations of their functions.  

Video Length: 4:17

Teeth Basics

Also accompanied by a downloadable guide, the video discusses Incisors, Canines, Premolars and Molars along with their locations in the mouth. The function of each type of tooth, the dental midline and teeth surfaces and their locations are also covered. 

Video Length: 3:15

Orthodontic Treatment Basics

This video covers the basics of the six most common types and stages of orthodontic treatment: Phase 1, Phase 2, Comprehensive, Limited, Surgical Orthodontics and Retention. Timing relative to dentition and purposes of treatment are also addressed. 

Video Length: 3:59

Orthodontic Office Role Basics

The video covers common types of jobs on the orthodontic team, including clinical roles (orthodontist, clinical assistant, clinical coordinator, records technician, sterilization technician and lab technician) and non-clinical roles (office manager, treatment coordinator, insurance coordinator and front desk receptionist). 

Video Length: 9:37

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Basics

This video introduces orthodontic PPE from the standpoint of safety for both team members and patients, addressing gloves, face masks, protective eyewear, face shields, and protective clothing. The role of PPE in preventing microorganisms from spreading from clinician to patients is explained.  

Video Length: 3:08

Comprehensive Training

As an AAO member, you will pay the lowest available price online staff training from Trapezio. Trapezio offers online-based staff training programs for the orthodontic team and provides a core foundation in subjects essential to the clinical chairside assistant as well as more advanced techniques and procedures for seasoned team members.

Learning & Professional Development

To upskill your staff members and earn CEUs required to renew any needed licensing, AAO has hundreds of recorded lectures available. Many are complimentary and others accessible to Ortho Staff Club members.

Excellent sessions for new staff include the annual OSHA Team training, Risk Management for the Orthodontic Staff and Orthodontic Instrument Sterilization.