Confused between a dentist and orthodontist. Here is your quick guide

April 01, 2019, Crawford and O brein

On the whole, both orthodontist and dentist help you heal the pain in your teeth and maintain perfect oral health. Pitner Orthodontics is one of the most suitable choices for you if you are looking for an orthodontist. Apart from being closely similar to each other, the major difference between the two is in the services they provide.

We will discuss some more dissimilarities, but before that let us discuss how you can ensure good oral health at home with ease.

Let’s discuss the difference between a dentist and an orthodontist in detail.

How does a dentist help you

The work of a Dentist comes into practice soon after their studies and training are complete. Their training and studies include learning to solve issues related to teeth filling, bridges, denture, etc. They are also professional in performing root canals. Being such a tricky task makes the most difficult profession in the medical and health care field.

Sometimes, the confusion between a dentist and an orthodontist occurs because of some institutes that provide certifications to dentists in the category of orthodontic treatments. This could be seriously misleading to the people who want a licensed orthodontist. Therefore, it is advised that if you need an orthodontist, first complete your research meticulously and find a licensed orthodontist.

Seeking advice from a dentist offering orthodontic treatment can be dangerous as he does not have the training and knowledge that is necessary for an orthodontist.

When it comes to oral health issues and their treatment, one can never take a risk and take these things lightly. Just imagine, you would not go to a mechanic if you need to fix the leakage in the ceiling, right? You won’t go to a heart surgeon for a knee transplant, right? Similarly, you can’t go to a regular dentist for what is to be done by an orthodontist.

How do Orthodontists help you

Here is the difference, each and every orthodontist is a dentist, in the beginning, therefore all of them has to undergo inclusive training to become a licensed expert in the field.

An orthodontist has to learn further and study more including extra training to become what they want! These training make them able enough to provide treatment for issues like malocclusion, etc. Malocclusion simply means bad bite which generally refers to misaligned teeth and jaw.

Usually orthodontist study for about 10 years and more as they go through various training and learn new stuff like embryology, genetics, etc. The main essence of their training is the whole lot of hands-on training that makes them expert in diagnosing all kinds of dental problems.

It takes a lot of practice, years of schooling and training to master the skills need to become an orthodontist. Only these efforts help them offer treatments like braces, jaw surgery, etc.

It is rightly said that these extra trainings are equivalent to more than four thousand extra hours of learning, practice, and study.

Finishing this extra training lets them work as a professional orthodontist.  

                                                                             
From the above discussion, we have the following key points to consider:-

1. Both professional doctors are experts in oral health care and come under the category of a dentist.
2. Orthodontist undergoes extra training in orthodontics which actually is the treatment of teeth irregularities.
3. Just ten percent of dentists are orthodontists, but all orthodontists are dentists.
4. If a person has issues like misalignment of teeth, then the dentists refer him to an orthodontist.
5. Fitting braces and similar devices to patients can only be done by a professional orthodontist.

Conclusion

Both dentist and orthodontist come under the category of a dentist. However, the difference between the two that we have discussed above clearly shows how dangerous it could be if you need a dentist and you reach out to an orthodontist or the other way around. Before you go out to solve the issues with your teeth, make sure you have done all the research and are fully aware of whether you need to go to a dentist or an orthodontist.

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