Orthodontic Residency Programs in Florida
Florida has 3 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in orthodontics, in Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville and Jacksonville.
Each is listed below with its institution, city, 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.
Completing a CODA-accredited orthodontics residency is the recognized path into the orthodontic specialty — read on for what each program's status means and what happens after residency.
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At a glance
In Florida
Programs
3
With a program
Cities
3
Approval without Reporting Requirements
Fully approved
3 of 3
Every CODA-Accredited Program in Florida
Source: CODA program directory, index dated 2026-09-09. Status terms (“Approval without Reporting Requirements,” “Approval with Reporting Requirements,” “Initial Accreditation,” “Discontinued,” etc.) are CODA’s own.
Reading the List: What Florida's Accreditation Statuses Mean
The statuses shown above are CODA's own terms, 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)" means CODA has identified specific deficiencies the program must correct within a set timeframe — it is not a warning to avoid the program, only a status mid-correction. "Initial Accreditation" is what CODA grants a program that is accredited but has not yet enrolled and graduated its first class of residents.
The last- and next-visit years shown are CODA's own accreditation-visit schedule, not anything set by the program itself.
For admissions requirements, program structure, or cost, contact the program directly, and confirm any program's current status with CODA before applying.
Why Accreditation Matters for the Path Into Orthodontics
Orthodontics is one of 12 recognized dental specialties, and completing a CODA-accredited advanced dental education program in the specialty is how a dentist becomes an orthodontist.
Florida has 3 accredited programs, compared with 2 in Georgia and 1 in Alabama nearby; wherever you train, our step-by-step guide to becoming an orthodontist covers the full sequence from dental school through residency, our orthodontist career guide what the role involves day to day, and which dental specialty pays the most how orthodontics compares with the other eleven.
Graduates of the Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, University of Florida College of Dentistry and Jacksonville University programs who go on to practice in Florida need a dentist license from the Florida Board of Dentistry — see Florida's dentist licensure requirements for the clinical exams it accepts and the rest of what it requires.
After Residency in Florida
A CODA-accredited residency is the entry point into orthodontics, not the final step — practicing afterward still requires holding an active dentist license in the state where you intend to work; in Florida, orthodontics is practiced under a dentist license rather than a separate specialty license.
Residents who train in Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville or Jacksonville and go on to practice in Florida can check the national orthodontist salary guide for pay context and search current orthodontist jobs in Florida to see who's hiring now.
Where Florida's Orthodontics Programs Are Located
Florida's three programs sit in three different metro areas rather than clustering in one: Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine in Fort Lauderdale serves South Florida, the University of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville sits in North Central Florida, and Jacksonville University covers Northeast Florida.
That spread means an applicant isn't limited to a single region of the state, though — as CODA accreditation is national — a program's location has no bearing on where its graduates can later become licensed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CODA-accredited orthodontics residency programs are in Florida?
Florida has 3 CODA-accredited advanced dental education programs in orthodontics, located in Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville and Jacksonville.
Each is listed above with its current CODA accreditation status, address and program director.
CODA's own directory is the definitive, up-to-date source — confirm a program's status directly with CODA before applying.
Does an out-of-state orthodontics residency count toward practicing in Florida?
Yes.
CODA accreditation is national, so a residency's location doesn't limit where its graduates can later become licensed — what matters is that the program itself is CODA-accredited.
Licensure is separately governed by the state board where you intend to practice; see our Florida dentist licensure page for what the state itself requires.
What does "Approval without Reporting Requirements" mean for a program?
It's CODA's classification for a program that "achieves or exceeds the basic requirements for accreditation," as opposed to "Approval with Reporting Requirements," which means CODA has flagged specific deficiencies the program must correct within a set timeframe.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying, since status can change between CODA's site visits.
What comes after finishing a CODA-accredited orthodontics residency?
Graduates hold an active dentist license in the state where they intend to practice; in Florida, orthodontists practice under that dentist license rather than a separate specialty license.
Our step-by-step guide to becoming an orthodontist walks through the full sequence from dental school through residency and licensure.
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," or "Discontinued" — mean something different, and a status can change after that date.
Confirm a program's current status directly with CODA before applying.
More Florida & 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.