The BOS was granted its coat of arms by the College of Arms in 1998.
Under heraldic law the Coat of Arms may only be used by the Society itself.
Members wishing to use Society insignia must use the badge.
Several symbolic messages are incorporated in the Coat of Arms:
- The four keys on the main shield represent the the principal elements of orthodontic biology, namely the genetic make-up of the patients, the effects of the environment, the role of the soft tissues and finally the hard tissues
- The teeth of the keys are opposed to form between them the ghost image of a siamese orthodontic bracket
- The apple tree underlines the biological nature of orthodontics. It is a plant which,when pruned or trained, increases in fruitfulness - a heraldic pun for the orthodontic process
- The principal colour is gold to underline the value of the service orthodontists provide.
- The second principal colour is blue, a minor reference to the metals used in orthodontics
- The steps on top of the helmet represent stages in treatment
- The stars in a ring above the steps stand for the constituent groups of the Society.
- The serpent wound around the stars symbolises orthodontics as a branch of medicine and the healing arts
At the base of the arms is the Society's motto