People do not know the difference between dentists and orthodontists. There is a significant difference between a dentist and an orthodontist. Dentistry is a broad medical field that deals with oral health, such as teeth, gums, and nerves in the mouth and jaw. On the other hand, an orthodontist deals with the alignment of teeth and ensures that the teeth meet together.
Qualification of Dentist And Orthodontist
Dentists and orthodontists have different qualifications. Dentists complete the general degree of dentistry, while orthodontists complete the general degree of dentistry with a specialization of three years in an accredited university.
General dentist provide you the services from teeth cleaning to teeth treatment, whereas orthodontics deals with the growth and development of the mouth. Similarly, dentists do not specialize in teeth alignment, while orthodontics specializes in treating jaw problems and aligning teeth.
Most dentists work under a specialist in orthodontics or refer patients to orthodontists for proper and good oral treatment. The orthodontics field includes retainers, cleaner and traditional braces, whereas the dentist can offer any treatment.
Working of Dentist
Dentists provide services that include conducting and interpreting dental X-rays, filing teeth, repairing cracked teeth, extracting teeth, filing and bonding teeth, treating gum diseases, instructing the oral treatment drugs, whitening the teeth, overseeing the development of a child’s teeth, and then performing oral surgery.
Working of Orthodontist
Like the dentist, the orthodontist treats teeth for growth and development of teeth. An orthodontist’s service includes supervising facial growth, especially in children, diagnosing and aligning the misaligned teeth and jaw, creating a plan for treating retainers and braces, performing teeth straightening surgery, and installing dental appliances.
Should You See An Orthodontist Or Dentist?
You are doubtful about whether you will visit the dentist or orthodontist to treat your teeth. A dentist, such as tooth pain, tooth decay, and tooth extraction. They can also treat gum disease, oral infection, and oral inflammation.
The special treatment of teeth requires an orthodontist. Even in many cases, dentists refer to the orthodontist. The cases are jaw malocclusion, tooth crowding, and palate expansion. There is a recommendation that children under seven years old should go to the orthodontist for braces. If you are an adult and need to align your teeth, you should skip the dentist and go to the orthodontist for aligning teeth.
Can A Dentist Do Orthodontics?
Dentists can do essential orthodontics treatment because they are not qualified. Dentists do not get a specialized degree like orthodontics. So they cannot offer the services of the orthodontics field. They can do necessary surgery or oral treatment. The dentist can work under the supervision of orthodontists because they have experience and qualifications.
If you have problems such as the misalignment of teeth and jaw, you should consult the orthodontist instead of going to the dentist. A specialist orthodontist can evaluate the complex problems of your teeth and then provide service according to the required problem. So, if dentists see such complex problems in their patients, they should refer the case to the orthodontists who are specialists in solving such complex cases.