zondag 25 december 2011

How are orthodontists and dentists different?

By Ellie C. Cox


It is common knowledge that dentists and orthodontists specialise in teeth and that they help people keep their teeth healthy and looking as they should do. What most people don't know is how dentists and orthodontists are different and what each of them does in more detail. They both must go through a similar route of education but with orthodontists doing a further two years of orthodontist training. At the end of their training they are also both classed as doctors.

A dentist is responsible for the general upkeep of teeth and ensuring that a person's teeth are healthy and will not cause them any pain or problems. Dentists will also specialise in the cleanliness of people's teeth and ensuring that people's teeth are as clean as they should be. When someone has a problem with their teeth it is the dentist who will deal with this problem unless it is purely cosmetic.

Dentists deal with quite a large variety of different problems but the most regular are fillings of damaged teeth or extractions of teeth which are past the point of repair. Dentists will normally deal with any issue which is painful to a patient or will develop to that point in the future. Their role is to rectify existing problems and prevent any possible future ones too.

On the other hand orthodontists generally deal with issues which aren't actually essential for the person to have resolved. The majority of these are cosmetic issues which might be preferable for the person to have fixed but are not causing them any pain or are likely to in the future. Orthodontists will generally study for an additional period so that they can practice as an orthodontist.

An orthodontist will usually perform processes such as teeth alignment using braces and retainers for people who have crooked teeth or gaps in between their teeth. Whereas people usually visit dentists as one offs, orthodontists are usually visited over a course. Most orthodontists also carry out teeth whitening for patients now too.




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