Working as a general dentist can sometimes seem tough, but this shouldn’t have to be the case. However, it doesn’t matter how much you study; orthodontic courses alone can only teach you so much, and in many cases, most of your expertise will come from experience and real-life ortho training rather than study. With this thought in mind, before you begin rushing into things, it’s important to look at the common yellow light cases and whether or not you’re suitably experienced yet to tackle these. First of all, it’s important that we consider when you can actually begin taking on yellow light cases yourself. Yellow light cases are something of an intermediate in terms of difficulty. They’re not necessarily hugely complex cases; however, before you begin taking on yellow light cases, you should ensure you have fully completed at least 50 green light cases. Yellow light cases are not suitable immediately after completing your orthodontic courses. There are numerous treatments that can fall into the category of being a “yellow light dentistry case,” and keeping these in mind can help you avoid taking on cases that are too complex for your current level. Common examples of yellow light cases that you should know as a general dentist include: – Slight Class 2 cases (up to 4mm on molars or canines, commonly in teenagers and children) – Deep or overbite cases (with any severity – never take even a mild case if you’re not experienced first of all) – Anterior crossbite edge to edge cases (this doesn’t necessarily apply to posterior cases) – Pre-diagnosed, minor open-bite cases up to 2mm (send patients to OMT first) – Pre-treated and managed mild periodontal disease cases with 3mm or less attachment loss pockets. Make sure the patient has received a one-month evaluation first; this will primarily be for older patients. – Any form of mixed dentition cases, especially for children and teenagers If you’ve only just completed your ortho training, or if you have less than 50 green light cases under your belt, we strongly recommend avoiding yellow light cases for the time being.