In what ways do specialist orthodontists stand out against dentists?
6th December 2019
After an initial assessment, a private orthodontist like Dr Mahmoud Pourghadiri will talk to you about possible treatment plans and timelines and costs etc.
Both dentists and orthodontists share the optimum goal of improving the oral health and aesthetic appearance of your smile.
Although some dentists will go straight into practicing as soon as they graduate from dentistry school, some choose to further their study in order to qualify as an orthodontist.
Orthodontists are skilled in how to move teeth and fix facial abnormalities, whereas a dentist is more specifically focused on keeping your mouth clean and healthy.
Dentists almost play the role of mediator, as they can carry out check-ups on teeth, provide care for minor oral issues, and refer you to qualified orthodontists when the task is beyond their ability.
Dentists encourage and inform patients how to keep good oral hygiene and provide services related to:
- General check-ups / Tooth decay
- Root canals / Gum disease
- Crowns / Bridges
- Veneers / Teeth whitening
It is important to remember that orthodontists are also dentists and have the skills and experience to provide the above treatments.
However, they also specialise in the alignment of teeth and more cosmetic procedures too including the treatment of:
- Misaligned teeth / Crowded teeth
- Overbite / Underbite
- Jaw-related issues
It is true that some dentists can be trained to provide orthodontic care, and a lot of general dentists can, of course, provide treatments such as braces.
However, it is your choice if you are willing to put the outcome of your smile into the hands of someone who is less qualified.
Choosing a certified, highly-experienced, trustworthy orthodontist reduces the risk that you could end up with results that are not in line with how you initially wanted your smile to look.
Other specialists
We often forget that within dentistry there is a wide range of varying dentistry positions, and a general dentist is just one speciality. According to British Dentistry some of the specific dentist roles are:
http://www.britishdentistry.org.uk/articles/dentist-types.html
- General dentists: treat a wide range of issues including check-ups, crowns, fillings and root canal.
- Cosmetic dentists: focusing on the aesthetic appearance of the teeth and smile including whitening, straightening and full smile makeovers.
- Endodontists: deals with internal workings of the teeth including the pulp, roots and tissues surrounding the roots.
- Orthodontists: focuses on abnormalities relating to the development of teeth and jaws – overcrowding, crooked teeth etc – usually treatment incorporates braces or some other straightening procedure.
- Prosthodontists: holds expertise in simple and complex restorations. Skilled in fitting dental implants, dentures, crowns, bridges and veneers.
- Periodontists: focus on the treatment of Periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease. Proficient at dental implants for missing teeth.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons: they are highly skilled and trained in the field of dentistry and medicine. They treat a wide range of oral issues including; jaw problems, facial injury (fractured jaw), oral cancer, sleep apnoea.
With all of these different specialities in mind, it is easy to see why it is important to have orthodontic treatment with an orthodontist, as opposed to a dentist who is not specifically trained in this field.
How do you know you are choosing the right orthodontist?
- At Elite Orthodontics London, we receive many of our patients through referrals from their dentists.
- Our patients also end up at Elite Orthodontics after seeing the success of friends or family member’s treatment.
- This attests to the fact that we provide consistent, reliable and impressive results to our patients.
- Additionally, you can refer to our before and after gallery to see the success of our treatments for yourself.
We urge anyone considering where to have their dentistry treatment to remember that all orthodontists are dentists, although not all dentists are orthodontists.
Get in contact today to organise a consultation meeting and find out how we could help you target your oral or aesthetic mouth issues.
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