Dentist Vs Orthodontist - What Is the Difference Between Dentist and Orthodontist?

Your dental health is a result of the combined efforts of dentists as well as orthodontists. While dentists are widely known as professionals who care for your teeth, an orthodontist plays an equally important role. The discourse over dentist vs orthodontist and their scope of work has been going on for quite some time. So, let’s find out the difference between a dentist and an orthodontist. Let’s find out.

Dentist

A dentist takes care of your dental needs and is an expert in treating problems related to your teeth, gums, jaws, and nerves among other parts related to your teeth. A dentist can also perform oral surgeries to improve the functioning of your teeth and gums and treat related problems. Following are some of the areas that come under a dentist’s purview.

• Removing decay from teeth
• Repairing and removing damaged teeth
• Root Canals
• Placing sealants and whitening agents on the teeth
• Administering anesthetics to provide pain-free treatment
• Diagnosing teeth problems by examining teeth and gum x-rays
• Prescribing medication for dental health.

Orthodontist

Orthodontists are teeth alignment experts and take care of their aesthetics and functionality. Conditions such as crooked teeth or wide gaps between teeth can play a huge role in your dental and overall health. An orthodontist treats conditions like.

• Underbite
• Overbite
• Crossbite
• Wide Teeth Gaps
• Jaw misalignment
• Overlapping teeth
• Dental crowding

Orthodontists are additionally trained to keep your teeth aligned and use various methods like braces, veneers, and aligners to ensure their well-being and longevity. An orthodontist has the additional skill of dental alignment and improving teeth bite and form. 

Dentists’ and Orthodontists’ qualification

The initial education and training of dentists and orthodontists remain the same. It’s only after four years of common studies do professionals wishing to explore orthodontics study further and become qualified orthodontists. Dentists can be defined as general practitioners while an orthodontist is a specialist. Most of the common dental problems like tooth pain, decay, etc. can be sorted by a visit to a dentist. Dentists are also skilled and qualified to look after gum decay, oral infections, and inflammation. 

An orthodontist on the other hand looks after various kinds of malocclusions and treatments for them. Areas like teeth alignment, jaw restructuring, palate expansion, and other similar areas are looked after by an orthodontist. Children under the age of 7 with teeth alignment issues are often recommended to visit an orthodontist who can treat and prevent any further damage. Orthodontists work on restructuring and beautifying the entire facial structure and not just the teeth and that’s where their speciality lies.