Dental care is part of your health care. Like with any other part of your body, there are different specializations. Dentists and orthodontists work closely together to ensure that your oral health needs are met. Dentists and orthodontists specialize in different care treatments for your teeth, jaw, and mouth. There are different educational pathways required for each occupation as well. Both attend dental school, but specializing in different areas will require different education. While both a dentist and an orthodontist care for your oral health, they do very different tasks.
What do Dentists do?
In order for a dentist to meet the proper educational qualifications, they must first complete a Bachelor’s degree, which is then followed by attending dental school. In the United States, this process can take around 8 years to complete. The American Dental Education Association has clear guidelines explaining the steps someone must take in their undergraduate years in order to qualify for their post-graduate education. Upon completing dental school, they will be awarded with a Doctor of Dental Science or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree.
Typically, dentists are in charge of keeping track and caring for your overall dental health. There are so many tasks that a general dentist can accomplish with the completion of their degree. Some of these tasks include:
- Performing examinations and coming up with plans to care for and prevent potential issues.
- Keep track of warning areas where your teeth may need more specific care, especially in the case of cavity development and prevention.
- Responsible for making sure your teeth and gums are clean, free of disease and decay, and can perform services to help heal any potential dental issues.
- Bonding to repair broken or chipped teeth.
- Clear cavities and provide crowns to repair the integrity of the tooth.
- If necessary, dentists will perform minor surgeries on your mouth, including tooth extractions.
- Some dentists can provide additional cosmetic services such as teeth whitening and veneers.
- Some dentists may also provide more difficult surgical procedures such as wisdom teeth removal and root canals.
Overall, dentists are able to do a lot of care for your teeth! While they know how to perform more complex tasks, there are some instances where specialization is needed to ensure the proper care and comfort is given to you during your procedure.
What do Orthodontists do?
Before an Orthodontist is permitted to perform, they must complete additional educational training. Initially, they must follow the same path a dentist does: completing an undergraduate degree and then their postgraduate, receiving a Doctor of Dental Science or a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. In addition to these requirements, orthodontists must complete an additional 2-3 years at an orthodontic residency program. The education required to become an orthodontist averages to about 10-11 years of schooling.
Orthodontists are specialists who focus on the alignment of your teeth and jaw, creating a proper bite. Fixing or preventing issues present in misaligned teeth and jaws will improve overall dental and general health. Crooked teeth or jaws can lead to issues in eating, speech, sleeping and even promote bacteria growth that can affect other areas of the body. You do not need to wait for your dentist to refer you to an orthodontist. If you notice any concerns in your mouth or your child’s, an initial consultation can be done to determine whether or not you may need orthodontic care.
Orthodontists also perform a variety of tasks when looking into the alignment of your teeth and jaw. Some of these tasks include:
- Planning a roadmap for your teeth or jaw alignment fix.
- Fitting and installing teeth straightening tools like braces or Invisalign.
- Building teeth straightening tools.
- Appliance management, such as tightening wires or replacing broken brackets.
- Installing jaw widening tools like a palette expander.
- Tooth extractions if necessary.
- The installation of more intense straightening tools such as headgear.
- Fitting and installing retainers.
- Any other tasks performed by a dentist if necessary.
Orthodontists complete a complex variety of tasks to ensure that malocclusions or jaw misalignment is properly cared for. Moving teeth and jaws is no easy task and requires many months of consultations to ensure that your mouth is safely on track with plans.
Other Dental Specializations
There are other oral health specializations that exist. These specializations also require additional training following dental school.
Pediatric dentistry is an important specialization as children will require different care than that of adults. The care of baby teeth is just as important as the care of adult teeth. Pediatric dentists can work towards prevention of orthodontic care, or make the orthodontic experience less complex. An example of this prevention can be the installation of space retainers in cases where baby teeth fall out too soon. Other teeth may move in to fill the gap and cause crowding or creating misaligned adult tooth growth. In addition to dental care, visiting any health care provider can be a scary experience for children. Pediatric dentists also also take care of the emotional wellbeing of children who are getting a checkup.
Sometimes extractions are better to be completed by an oral surgeon rather than your dentist. This may also be better in cases that require an anesthesiologist to be present. There are some procedures that will require a patient to be asleep, such as bone grafting, wisdom teeth removal, jaw realignment surgeries, and facial reconstruction surgeries just to name a few.
Periodontists are another form of oral care specialist who focuses on the care of gums. Gum disease can form for a variety of reasons, such as poor dental care, or caused by dental implants. Dental disease and gum recession is more common than one may think, about half of all Americans can experience some kind of issue with their gums. While a dentist can care for gums, some cases may require a specialist. Healthy gums make it easier for teeth to move! Maintaining gum health is important when you have teeth straightening appliances such as braces or Invisalign.
Conclusion
Dentists and orthodontists are two immensely important occupations that are necessary for your overall health. Many oral health care providers will work closely together to ensure that all oral care is completed effectively, accurately, safely, and comfortably. Taft Hill Orthodontics is one of those offices that works closely alongside dentists to ensure that all orthodontic care is completed with the utmost care.