Orthodontist vs Dentist

by Ador Talukdar A Great Writer

People often get confused when they need to call on someone for oral care. Many people are uncertain as to whether they need an orthodontist to do their care, a dentist, or a dental surgeon. The professionals at M. Scott Runnels, DDS gave us some facts about orthodontist and dentist.

Dentist

· Dentist have to complete their medical school training and their post graduate training at a dental college before they are capable of working on patients

· Dentist treat diseases of the gums and teeth including tooth decay, extractions, cavities, fillings.

· Dentist see patients and instruct them in ways to care for their teeth and gums

· Only ten percent of all dentist are also trained in the movement of teeth and the use of braces and straightening devices

· Dentist may have practices that specialize in children, in adults, or in family oral health. Dentists that specialize in the treatment of children are called pediatric dentist

You generally see the dentist every six months for routine check-ups. If your teeth hurt you go to the dentist. Once the dentist assesses the problem in your mouth they will either correct it for you or explain to you that you have to see an oral care doctor that is more specialized for treatment. Dentist refer their patients to the orthodontist. These two professionals both do similar work, but they are not in competition with each other.

Orthodontist

· Complete all of the educational requirements to become a dentist and then they complete an additional 2 to 3 years in a residency program working under a licensed orthodontist

· Orthodontist learn specialized skills related to moving teeth so they can help people to get their teeth properly aligned in their mouths

· Orthodontist can do extractions, and sometimes they have to extract some teeth to make room in the persons mouth for their other teeth to be properly aligned

· Orthodontist use braces and other tools to help them straighten teeth in the mouths of their patients

· You generally cannot get an appointment with an orthodontist unless you have a dentist refer you to them. The orthodontist will work with your regular dentist on your treatment plan. Often patients that need teeth extracted are sent back to their regular dentist for the extractions.

· The orthodontist will not treat children before their permanent teeth have come in

M. Scott Runnels, DDS explained that an orthodontist has all of the education of a dentist plus an additional 2 years of residency training.