Do you want to know the difference between dentist and orthodontist? If yes, then you should know that dentists and orthodontists both are doctors. Both types of professionals help their patients getting rid of oral and dental problems.
However, both i.e. dentists and orthodontists help their patient enjoying great oral health, but they achieve the same goal using different methods.
Here, you need to remember that dentistry is basically a broad medical education that can help students learning about teeth, gums and overall oral health.
On the other hand orthodontics is a specific medical specialty under dentistry that deals with correcting occlusion, bites and yes straightness of human teeth.
So, both i.e. dentists and orthodontists help patients improving their oral health.
What Are the Key Differences Between a Dentist and an Orthodontist?
However, orthodontists and dentists are doctor, but they perform their jobs differently. Both come with specific dentistry knowledge and training to help patients leading a health oral life.
A dentist simply helps patients getting rid of different types of oral health problems such as teeth, gums, mouth, and tongue issues. On the other hand, an orthodontist specializes in aligning jaws and teeth.
So, it can be said that a dentist helps patients achieving a healthier, cleaner smile via X-rays, cleanings and surgery.
What Do Dentists Do?
When you decide to know the basic difference between orthodontists and dentists, you need to know about their core business activities.
It means that you need to know what both professionals do or can do for their patients. So, let’s start with a dentist.
Here, you need to know about the functionality, role and performance of a dentist. You need to know how a dentist can improve the oral health of people at his clinic.
Obviously, when you know the key functionality or job of a dentist, you can easily notice the differences between a dentist and an orthodontist.
So, let’s check out what a dentist does.
- Dentists usually conduct and thoroughly interpret scientific dental X-rays for their patients so that an oral problem can be identified.
- A dentist can fill cavities to provide great oral health to patients.
- Teeth extracting is another job that a dentist easily performs.
- In case of dealing with a cracked tooth or teeth, you need to seek help from a dentist.
- Dentists fill as well as bond teeth.
- They promote oral hygiene and oral health.
- Dentists also treat different types of gum diseases, for instance, gingivitis.
- Dentists also prescribe treatment that would also include prescription drugs especially for oral or dental health conditions.
- A dentist installs veneers or crowns.
- A dentist also whitens teeth.
- Dentists also keep an eye on the overall development of kids’ teeth.
- A dentist can also perform different types of oral surgeries.
Also read: Difference between DDS and DMD
What Do Orthodontists Do?
Having gone through the job profile of a dentist, now you need to know what an orthodontist may do for his patients. Before learning anything about an orthodontist, you first need to know that he is also a doctor of dental and oral health.
In other words, you can say that orthodontists are dentist with special certification and training in how to align teeth and jaw.
Here, you should know that a certified orthodontist can easily diagnose different types of oral health problems related to gums, teeth, mouth, and even tongue.
If you want to know the difference between orthodontists and dentists, you need to know what an orthodontist does.
So, let’s check out the core functionality of an orthodontist or doctor.
- An orthodontist analyzes the facial growth i.e. bite and jaw line in kids.
- They diagnose as well as treat misaligned jaws and teeth i.e. they perform malocclusion jobs.
- When orthodontists create an effective treatment plan, they also include retainers and braces to it.
- Orthodontists also perform surgery for straightening misaligned teeth.
- Orthodontists also install different types of dental appliances such as palatal expanders, braces, herbst or orthodontic headgear appliances.
Also read: Difference between dentist and dental hygienist
Dentists Vs Orthodontists – Who Is Better?
If you want to know the differences between an orthodontist and a dentist, you need to take above mentioned points into consideration. But when it comes to deciding who is a better professional, you may get confused.
Actually, both i.e. dentists and orthodontists come with their specific core functionality.
It means that they perform specific tasks for treating different types of oral health. So, it can be difficult to identify a professional better than other.
Instead, you need to know that both professionals come with their own specialty. For instance, if you want to get misaligned teeth or jaw of your child corrected, you need to seek help from an orthodontist.
On the other hand, if you are looking for other oral health problem treatments, a dentist can be of great help.