DENTIST DUNROBIN: The Difference Between Dentist and Orthodontist

DENTIST DUNROBIN: The Difference Between Dentist and Orthodontist

Dentists – Dunrobin, Carp and Carleton Place

Dentist vs Orthodontist What is the Difference?

Let us begin. Dentists are licensed as dental surgeons, or licensed in dentistry, and treat generalized problems of the mouth, teeth, and gums. To get to where they are, they must go through a lengthy period of post-graduate study which lasts approximately 7-8 years. In essence, dentists are general practitioners. General dentists can treat a huge variety of dental issues such as cavities, broken teeth and infections, as well as perform a wide array of treatments such as fillings, root canals, extractions and crowns to name just a few. Depending on their level of training, they can perform many procedures that specialists perform on a daily basis.

It is precisely here that orthodontic specialists or orthodontists enter the picture. In addition to their dental degree, they have obtained a second post-graduate degree which makes their treatment scope exclusive to orthodontics.

An orthodontist is a specialist in maxillofacial orthodontics. Basically, the discipline is dedicated to facial bone correction and most evidently, dental position correction. Although it is a branch directly linked to dentistry, it is highly specialized, dealing with the correction of specific problems.

“A dentist can perform orthodontic treatments, but an orthodontist cannot do general dentistry treatments… even though they have already gone through that stage!””

Dentists – Dunrobin, Carp, and Carleton Place

 

It is important to know that qualified, highly-skilled dentists have the ability to make these types of dental corrections if they have completed the adequate requirements after their post-graduate studies and once in private practice. It is at this time that many dentists choose to include this specialty in their treatment plans, which if performed well and correctly can lead to great results.

Before seeing the orthodontic specialist for treatment, it is often beneficial to have the teeth attended to, gums treated and all oral surfaces cleaned at the general dentist office in order to maximize the quality of the orthodontic results.

How can I know if my dentist performs orthodontic procedures?

Dentists: Dunrobin, Carp and Carleton Place