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Navigating Residency: Start here. Move forward. by Chelsea Knorr, Editor, Orthotown Magazine

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You finished dental school. You have loans staring you in the face. You’ve passed your dental boards and now you’re testing out the waters as an ortho resident. We understand that sometimes all this is a lot to handle. This is why Orthotown has created and compiled an array of resources for residents. So many, in fact, we can’t possibly pack it all into the magazine.

Many Orthotown Magazine readers might not have heard about the robust online community on Orthotown.com. Sign up! The site is easy to use, a great way to learn and of course, completely free. It’s like downloading clinical information from hundreds of other, more experienced orthodontists’ brains (only it’s less science-fictiony.)

Better yet, it’s exclusive to orthodontists (as in, we check IDs at the door). Docs, consider this site a sounding board to talk about everything from lingual braces to basketball brackets.



Explore Your New Neighborhood

Once you’re a Townie, you’re part of a community that is always learning and helping each other out. Move into town, and you’re among family. Don’t worry, we won’t show up on your doorstep without calling first.

Comb the Message Boards

See a case you think is impressive? Tell the poster! Maybe you have a question (like our resident friend, dawn1477, who asks about Unilateral Distilization, on page 16). Ask away! Or maybe you just need to vent after a particularly hard day at the office. There are Townies who will hear you out. Learn all about the interworkings of the message boards on the next page.

Create a Group

Whether you have a study club or class project—- you can have your own forum on Orthotown.com. It’s a great way to organize content with a particular theme. These groups can be private (based on invitation) or public (these are great for school alumni) so everyone on the boards can learn from your studiousness.

Browse the Classified Ads

You could be scouting out résumés to hire staff for your brand spankin’ new practice or maybe you just want an autoclave you don’t have to kick to start up. The classified pages are like an ortho-exclusive Craigslist.




The message boards of Orthotown.com are invaluable because they allow you to view clinical cases and get honest feedback to questions in a safe environment. You can post cases you need help with, ask for advice on techniques, or assist others. In an environment restricted to orthodontists, you can learn from docs at the top of their field, as well as commiserate with others who might be struggling with the same challenges you are.


Make It Your Own
Username
Let people know who you are with your username. You can be literal by using your initials or last name, or have some fun with it. Some of our favorites: str8wire1, bracketbuster and Billy Wonka.
Avatar
Upload an avatar, which is an image that represents your online persona. It’s important to give your virtual personality a face. If you’re shy, upload a graphic instead. Avatars including a red-velvet cupcake and a baby superhero frequent the boards.
Signature
To further set yourself apart, create a custom signature and furnish it with website links, favorite quotes or our favorite— shameless self-promotions. The possibilities are endless.
Profile
You’re unique, just like everyone else. So tell us about you. On your profile, you can update the information you want to share with other members of the Orthotown community, kind of like your Facebook profile—-from where you went to school, to your favorite movies, books and music.





Today’s Active Topics

There are certain boards that take off like wildfire. We put these into their own category. When you log on to Orthotown.com in the morning (because we know it’ll be the first thing you do) you can view the hotbutton topics for the day.

Subscribe

The subscribe button is for threads you’re really crazy about. Maybe it’s a timely issue or a topic you want to keep up with to become more proficient. If you subscribe to a board, you’ll get updates each time there’s a new post.

Not only can you subscribe to specific threads, you can subscribe to specific Townies. If you find yourself really enjoying what Dr. So-and-so has to say, you can subscribe to her and whenever she posts you will be notified by email. On the other hand, if there are Townies you just don’t jibe with, don’t get frustrated, we’ve created a function that allows you to block them. It’s anonymous too.




Post a New Topic

Start a conversation. Share progressive clinical cases, ask peers for practice management advice or seek recommendations for products or services. Talk about whatever you heart desires—-just remember that we embrace the Golden Rule, and have moderators to ensure everyone follows it.

Reply

Want to weigh in on a board a Townie already started? Click reply and give your two cents. We love it when others contribute to the conversation, though we won’t scold you if you just want to lurk.

Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
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