What Makes an Orthodontist Different from A General Dentist?

Dentistry is a field of medicine that deals with the complete health and welfare of dental care. It includes everything related to teeth and their management in the best condition for longer years. It even includes the health and maintenance of the jaw, gum, nerves, and everything else related to teeth.

Both the orthodontic specialty and dentistry include complete oral care. However, the main factor to understand here is that all orthodontists are considered dentists, but not all dentists are provided with the license to practice orthodontic specialty.

If your search is for an orthodontist, then look no further because Dr. Reza Hekmat is your best option. This dental specialist is an orthodontist as well and is licensed by the board of orthodontist Rancho Bernardo services. You can visit their website to learn more about how they work and also to book an appointment.

The similarity between the Orthodontists and Dentists 

Oral care is the main motto of both dentists and orthodontists. Hence, both the specialists will attend to the patients in need of dental care. One basic factor to understand about both the specialists is that they both offer the required care and treatment when it comes to the health of gums, teeth, and jawline.

What makes an orthodontist different from a dentist 

Before jumping into the subject of learning the difference between a dentist and an orthodontist, you should first understand the working principle of both specialists. Here is some brief information on the topic.

  • Dentists 

As you already know, dentists are the experts that have completed their bachelor’s in dental degrees and have graduated from any of the reputed dental institutions. The studies require them to complete their 3 years of bachelor’s degree in dental care. These graduates are considered general dentists and are allowed to practice dentistry at basic level.

You can expect the following care from a general dentist.

  1. Teeth extraction
  2. Interpreting and also suggesting the dental X-rays
  3. Performing the oral surgery
  4. Cavity filling procedures
  5. Teeth extraction
  6. Repairing the damaged or cracked tooth
  7. Helping as a pediatric dentist to the child patients
  8. Promoting the oral health and hygiene
  9. Installation of veneers and crowns
  10. Bonding and also filling the tooth
  11. Teeth whitening
  12. Treating some gum diseases such as gingivitis
  13. Prescribing the required drugs and medications in concern to the oral health

If the dental care case that they attend to is out of their expertise, then the dentists will make sure that they will guide you towards the care of an orthodontist so that your oral health gets the best care.

  • Orthodontist 

Orthodontists are dental experts that have completed further degrees in learning more about oral health and care. They will have in-depth knowledge and also experience in handling some of the complicated issues related to dental care. They can offer their help for some of the dental issues such as,

  1. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD)
  2. Teeth overcrowding
  3. Crossbites, over and underbites
  4. Spaces between two teeth

An orthodontist offers care in some additional ways such as,

  1. Keeping a clear eye on the growth and development of jawline in children
  2. Installing the appliances on the teeth such as the palatal expanders, braces, Herbst appliances, orthodontic headgears, and so on.
  3. Diagnosing the condition of possible misalignments in the dental lining
  4. Come up with the best solution for the installation of retainers or braces accordingly

Educational Difference 

While learning more about any dental specialist working for the orthodontist 4S Ranch services, you should first understand the qualifications and training that separates a dentist from an orthodontist.

Both the dentists and orthodontists will receive the same basic education in their dental degree course. This step is known as the pre-dental or pre-medical dental degree and all the graduates are allowed to train under the senior dentists in the hospitals of their choice.

What separates orthodontists from dentists are their further degrees and training and experience in the field. After completing the dental degrees from any of the hospitals that work in alliance with the braces 4S Ranch installation medical care, the orthodontists pursue their further degrees in the field for another couple of years.

After completing their education, the orthodontists are trained extensively during their internship and residency in both the hospital rooms and labs. They will work under the supervision of the senior orthodontists and they will be trained to complete their residency program in any medical institution.

Both orthodontists and dentists have the same goal, which is to offer the best dental care for their patients. Some prefer working with the children and will be known as the pediatric dentists whereas some work with the adult dental care and become orthodontists.

Whenever you feel like your teeth, jaw, gum or any other part of your mouth is bothering you in any way, then it is suggested to consult your dentist as early as possible. They will diagnose the issue and will either offer the best solutions or will guide you to an orthodontist if the dental care requirement is out of their expertise area.