Orthodontists and dentists serve different purposes when it comes to creating and maintaining beautiful smiles. Both are absolutely essential for achieving the greatest results! But how exactly do orthodontists and dentists differ?
Here’s everything you need to know about orthodontists vs. dentists:
Orthodontist Vs. Dentist: Education & Training
Although orthodontists and dentists are both highly qualified professionals, these positions differ in their educational and training requirements. Both professions begin with the same education, but orthodontists are required to take their training a step further.
- To be a qualified dentist, a person has to complete 4 years of undergraduate school and 4 years of dental school. After these 8 years of education, dentists must take a written exam and a clinical licensing exam, which earns them the distinction of DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry).
- To be a qualified orthodontist, a person has to complete the same 8 years of undergraduate school and dental school that dentists do, but they also have to complete an additional 2 to 3 year residency that equates to more than 4,800 hours of orthodontic training.
All orthodontists are dentists, but only about 6% of dentists are orthodontists.
Due to the different training requirements of dentists and orthodontists, orthodontists are more qualified to provide treatment with braces and Invisalign®. Although some dentists may offer braces or Invisalign, they cannot treat the wide variety of conditions that orthodontists can.
Dentists may focus on straightening the teeth, but orthodontists consider the appearance of the teeth, along with the alignment of the jaw bones and the position of each tooth to provide a comprehensive treatment.
Orthodontist Vs. Dentists: Treatments Performed
Dental Treatments
Dentists provide regular teeth cleanings, evaluation and treatment of cavities, gum disease, and similar oral hygiene problems, and tooth extraction. They also restore broken and misshapen teeth through bonding treatment, veneers and crowns.
Your dentist serves to assess your oral hygiene and help you in preventing oral diseases. They can also refer you to other specialists and physicians, if necessary.
Dentists often perform cosmetic treatment with braces or Invisalign, but they are not qualified to treat deep-rooted issues, such as sleep apnea, malocclusions (poor bite conditions) and TMJ disorders.
Orthodontics Treatment
Orthodontists provide treatments to correct the position of the teeth and bite to improve the functionality and appearance of the teeth. Our focus is to shift your teeth and align your jaws to create a healthy smile.
Common orthodontic treatments include Invisalign clear aligners, early screening and treatment for children, braces for adolescents, braces for adults, orthodontics in conjunction with jaw surgery, and dentofacial orthopedic treatment.
Orthodontists can treat crooked teeth, crowded teeth, gapped teeth, malocclusions (open bite, overbite, underbite, cross bite), some cases of sleep apnea via airway orthodontics (when prescribed by a physician), some TMJ disorders, and more.
The Bottom Line
Orthodontists create personalized treatment plans to improve the bite and smile in children, teens, and adults. Dentists perform regular teeth cleanings and help patients to maintain their oral health.
Both orthodontists and dentists are fundamental to a healthy smile! Dentists cannot provide orthodontic treatment with the level of expertise that orthodontists can, but regular dental cleanings with a dentist are still essential throughout an orthodontic treatment period.
If you or a family member is in need of an orthodontist near you, we would love to meet you! We are one of San Antonio’s leading orthodontic providers, and we are proud to transform smiles for the people of our communities.
Get started today with your free orthodontic exam, or give us a call to speak with one of our amazing team members today!
