To become an orthodontist, you must be a dentist first. Orthodontists attend four years of regular dental school, then complete an additional 2-3 years of post-graduate residency training in orthodontics. As a specialist, Dr. Cheron limits her practice exclusively to orthodontic treatment. This means that at Cheron Orthodontics, orthodontic treatment is what we do, and all we do. Many general dentists attempt to do Invisalign® or braces after attending weekend or night courses. You will find these dentists use the term “orthodontics” not “orthodontist” because they do not have the additional residency training needed to be a specialist. The Commonwealth of Virginia protects the consumer by only allowing specialists like Dr. Cheron to call themselves “orthodontists” after completing a 2-3 year full time residency program.