You might have often confused the term orthodontist with a dentist when you wanted some dental treatment for whatever purpose.

Well, don’t worry because it happens to most of us without the proper knowledge of both these things.

In a broader perspective, orthodontists and dentists both are doctors who specialize in oral healthcare.

But the significant difference is that doctors who study general dentistry and are adequately trained on how to diagnose as well as treat these conditions related to your teeth, gums or tongue, etc., are known as dentists.

While on the other hand, orthodontists are the ones who do get this training, but they do not acquire the additional education to specialize in treating and diagnosing your jaws and teeth.

But there are many Calgary Orthodontists who might have offered you other dental care as well. Well, that happens they’re not scamming you

To further know the details about both these two specialized doctors, dig in the article provided below.

What Does An Orthodontist Do?

Unlike you might have thought, orthodontists are doctors of oral health but the ones who do not specialize in diagnosing and treating the dental problem.

So, what do they actually do?

Technically they are also kind of a dentist with a specialty in the jaw and tooth alignment department but what makes them different from this genre is that their main work is to focus on making one’s teeth and jaw properly in shape.

Though some orthodontists might have learned and trained in the diagnosis and treatment of oral health care but most orthodontists work on the teeth and jaw alignment only.

They mainly perform the following operations:

• Treat and put in shape misaligned teeth and jaws to make the face structure properly in shape.
• Supervise the growth of bite and jawline in children.
• Install dental and oral appliances such as orthodontic headwear, braces, and other appliances, etc.
• Perform surgeries related to straightening of teeth.

What Do Dentists Do?

On the other hand, dentists are the doctors who specialize in oral health conditions.

Generally speaking, dentists are the ones that pursue a pre-medical or pre-dentistry degree before actually going to a dentistry school to graduate from.

This means that just like all the other doctors, dentists are also required to be appropriately trained in their respective fields before becoming certified doctors.

So, certified dentists are able to diagnose and treat all the problems related to oral health conditions like teeth, mouth, and gums, etc.

In addition to that, they can also clean and treat your teeth. These health care services are offered by dentists:

• Fill and repair cavities in your teeth.
• Interpret your dental x-rays.
• Help you whiten your teeth
• Treat all your oral conditions
• Perform dental surgeries etc.

Conclusion

To conclude, dentists and orthodontists both get the same education, but orthodontists have to gain additional education before landing in the field.

So, the next time you suffer from any kind of oral condition, you know who you should approach to get it treated.

For any face alignment and jaw shaping, you can also contact an orthodontist who can come up with a proper solution, and for dental disease, you can go to a dentist.

It’s exactly that easy to recognize now!