Your Board Certified Orthodontist in Cibolo, TX

Reviewed by Dr. Dima Kalakech, Board Certified Orthodontist

What does “board-certified orthodontist” mean?

It means an orthodontist has voluntarily passed the American Board of Orthodontics’ rigorous written and clinical examinations, the highest achievement in the specialty, which only about half of practicing orthodontists complete. Dr. Dima Kalakech of Embrace Orthodontics in Cibolo is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

All orthodontists must be licensed to practice, but board certification is a different bar entirely, and Dr. K cleared it by choice. It’s one more way she has demonstrated her commitment to excellence in patient care since 2004, and it’s worth two minutes of your time to understand why it matters when you’re choosing where your family gets treated.

Are All Orthodontists Board Certified?

No. At this time, a little over half of all orthodontists have continued beyond licensure to complete board certification. The ABO process signifies a unique achievement: a significant step beyond the two to three years of advanced education that make a dentist an orthodontic specialist in the first place. Certification requires demonstrating actual accomplishments in patient care, with detailed case reports covering a broad range of orthodontic problems, examined and defended before a respected panel of examiners.

One Board, Since 1929

The American Board of Orthodontics is the only certifying board in the specialty recognized by the American Dental Association, and the oldest specialty board in all of dentistry, founded in 1929. Its purpose is to elevate the quality of orthodontic care for the public through certification, education and professional collaboration. When you see “ABO Diplomate,” there’s exactly one standard behind it.

What the Certification Process Requires

1. Written examination. A comprehensive 240-question exam covering every domain of orthodontic knowledge.
2. Clinical examination. The orthodontist presents detailed case reports from actual practice, demonstrating a history of excellence in treatment, then defends academic and clinical topics in an oral examination before a panel of examiners.
3. Renewal every 10 years. Certification is time-limited; Diplomates must re-demonstrate their standard of care each decade to keep the credential.

In other words: it’s not a plaque you buy, it’s a standard you keep proving.

Why It Matters When Choosing Your Orthodontist

Successful completion of certification represents a specialist’s commitment to keep pace with the latest advances and deliver them to patients, judged by the profession’s own toughest audience. For families comparing practices around Cibolo and Schertz, it’s one of the few objective quality signals available before you ever sit in the chair, alongside things like verified patient reviews and a doctor who keeps training beyond requirements.

You can verify any orthodontist’s certification status directly with the American Board of Orthodontics.

What Certification Means for Your Family’s Treatment

Credentials matter only if they change what happens in the chair, and this one does. Board certification means your treatment plan is built by a doctor whose actual patient results, not just her test scores, were examined by the specialty’s toughest reviewers. It means the standard she finishes cases to is one she has to keep re-proving every decade. And it pairs with the other evidence you can check yourself: a 5.0-star Google rating across more than 1,000 patient reviews, earned one family at a time since 2004. When you compare practices around Cibolo and Schertz, ask every office the same two questions: is the doctor board certified, and can I see the reviews? We’re glad to answer both.