Orthodontist vs Dentist: What Does an Orthodontist Do?

Good oral health is much needed for overall good health. There are several studies that prove the direct relation between good oral health and a better overall health. That’s why experts recommend that you brush twice on a daily basis, do regular flossing on and off and see a professional dentist twice a year. 

While choosing to see a professional, it has been a debate (between orthodontist vs dentist) for years that what kind of dental professional should we choose for our dental queries. To conclude this debate, you need to fully understand the difference between a general dentist and an orthodontist. Only then, you may be able to prefer between an orthodontist vs general dentist. 

General Dentist vs Orthodontist

Let’s see their definitions, meaning and basic differences between them. 

General Dentist

The general dentist is a certified professional to make our oral health better by providing us with a routine dental checkup and dental prevention techniques. A general dentist can check our teeth/gums and suggest some prevention techniques to fight against bacteria and dental problems like bad breath(halitosis), gum disease and toothache etc.  

Orthodontist

According to the definition of an orthodontist, an orthodontist is a specialized dentist that has some additional education plus training related to orthodontics (teeth/jaws misalignment, overbite and underbite). 

So, an orthodontist is also a dentist with an additional certification plus specialized training related to orthodontics. He/She can do all the jobs that a general dentist can do plus he/she can also fix your orthodontic problems like misalignment and biting problems using some advanced orthodontic treatments like braces, invisalign and root canal etc.

What Does a General Dentist Do?

A general dentist does all the basic dental prevention and dental care tasks to fix your common dental problems like toothache, inflammation, dental plaque and cavity filling etc. 

What Does an Orthodontist Do?

Apart from all the tasks performed by a general dentist, an orthodontist may also perform some additional dental procedures especially related to orthodontics like braces, invisalign, crowns, fillings and root canal etc. Between an orthodontist vs dentist, orthodontist should be preferred for the specific tasks related to orthodontics because an orthodontist is considered a specialist for such tasks.  

When Should I See an Orthodontist?

There are several occasions where you should see an orthodontist to have a better and more satisfying treatment rather than going with a general dentist. An orthodontist may help your children in their early teeth transition phases i.e. loss of baby teeth and eruption of permanent teeth. An orthodontist may help them regarding their thumb sucking habits and if their early teeth are crowded or misplaced – they can be fixed as early as possible. 

If you or your children have not been seen by an orthodontist in their childhood, don’t worry. You can still see an orthodontist to fix your misalignment, biting problems and asymmetrical jaw problems. 

How Can I Pick the Best Orthodontist?

• You can get suggestions from your closed ones and your social circles
• You can browse some nearest orthodontists by searching “orthodontist near me”
• You can check the published reviews about them and shortlist some of the options
• You can check their personal profiles or websites to know more about them and their certifications
• You can check their specialities like braces, crowns or root canals
• You can check their affiliated dental insurances, so you can choose anyone that may fall in your insurance circle. 

Once all of these hunting steps are done, do contact your top three preferred shortlisted candidates personally and ask specific questions to know more about them and their skills, communication and office hours etc. 

Summary

Choosing an orthodontist between a dentist vs orthodontist is better because an orthodontist has more education plus more training experience related to orthodontic tasks like braces, invisalign, crowns and fillings etc. You can also prefer a general dentist between an orthodontist vs dentist – If you just need some basic dental prevention and routine care like teeth cleaning, filling sealants, reducing gum inflammation and numbing the toothache. 

On the other hand, if you have some biting problems and jaw misalignment issues, an orthodontist is always recommended. According to orthodontist meaning and its definition, he/she can deal with all the advanced orthodontic tasks like braces, crowns, invisalign, veneer and root canal procedures. 

Make sure to choose a closest dentist or orthodontist after considering the experience, certifications and previous feedback. For example: There are so many orthodontists in Maryland but if you live near Glen Burnie then you should always prefer the best orthodontist in Glen Burnie rather than spending additional costs and trouble of going to another city. It is always better to start your orthodontist hunting journey with this query – best orthodontist near me – while turning the location feature on.