Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics Fellowship Programs
There are 6 CODA-accredited craniofacial and special care orthodontics fellowship programs in the United States, in 5 states: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Every one is listed below with its institution, city, state, current accreditation status, and the years of CODA's last and next accreditation visits, pulled directly from the Commission on Dental Accreditation's own program directory.
Read on for what the statuses mean, where this fellowship sits relative to orthodontics as a recognized specialty, and what comes after the program.
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At a glance
Nationwide
Programs
6
With a program
States
5
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
6 of 6
Every CODA-Accredited Program in the United States
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. CODA classes these as advanced dental education programs; status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
Reading the List: What the Accreditation Statuses Mean
Every status shown above is CODA's own term, not this site's. "Approval (without Reporting Requirements)" is the classification CODA grants when a program "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation." "Approval (with Reporting Requirements)" would mean CODA had identified specific deficiencies the program must correct within a set timeframe, and "Initial Accreditation" marks a program that has not yet graduated its first class.
All 6 programs on this list currently hold approval without reporting requirements.
The last- and next-visit years are CODA's own accreditation-visit schedule, not anything set by the program.
For admissions requirements or program structure, contact the program directly.
Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics Among the Specialties
CODA lists each program above under its own type, "Clinical Fellowship in Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics," one of the advanced dental education programs it accredits.
This fellowship is not itself one of the 12 dental specialties recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards — orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics is the recognized specialty, and its certifying board is the American Board of Orthodontics.
Our orthodontist career guide covers the specialty itself, and the guide to orthodontics residency covers the accredited residency that comes before a fellowship like this one.
After the Fellowship
A fellowship is not a license: practicing orthodontics requires a dentist license in the state where you work, and what each state requires before it will issue one is set by that state's own board.
Our step-by-step guide to how to become an orthodontist covers the full sequence from dental school through residency and licensure.
When you're ready to look at what's hiring, search current orthodontist jobs nationwide.
Where the Programs Are
New York is the only state with more than one program; California, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania each have one.
Sponsors named in the Institution column are a mix of university dental schools and hospital-based departments, and the website links, where CODA lists one, go to the sponsor's own page, which is where admissions details live.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited craniofacial and special care orthodontics fellowships are there?
There are 6 CODA-accredited craniofacial and special care orthodontics fellowship programs in the United States, in 5 states: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Each is listed above with its institution, city, state and current CODA accreditation status.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date source — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
Is this fellowship a recognized dental specialty?
Not on its own.
CODA accredits it as an advanced dental education program under the type "Clinical Fellowship in Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics." The recognized specialty it builds on is orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, one of the 12 specialties recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards, with the American Board of Orthodontics as its certifying board.
What does "Approval without Reporting Requirements" mean?
It's CODA's classification for a program that, in CODA's own words, "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation." It's distinct from "Approval (with Reporting Requirements)," which means CODA identified deficiencies the program must correct within a set timeframe.
All 6 programs on this list currently hold approval without reporting requirements.
Do I have to complete the fellowship in the state where I want to practice?
No. CODA accreditation is national, so a fellowship completed in any of the 5 states carries the same accreditation standing everywhere.
What a state requires before it will license a dentist to practice is set by that state, not by a program, so check the state's own dentist licensure requirements and confirm with its dental board before you plan around a fellowship.
Is every program on this list accredited?
Every program above is shown with the CODA accreditation status CODA had published for it as of 2026-09-09, the date this directory was last pulled from CODA's own program search. "Approval without Reporting Requirements" is CODA's standard fully-accredited standing; other status terms on this page — such as "Approval with Reporting Requirements," "Initial Accreditation," "Withdrawn," or a "teach-out" qualifier — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More Orthodontist Resources
Sourced from the CODA program directory (index dated 2026-09-09). Verified September 2026. Program details change. Confirm accreditation status, admission requirements and costs with the program and with CODA before applying.