What's the difference between an Orthodontist and a Dentist?

Orthodontists and dentists both help patients improve their oral health, but in different ways. Dentistry is a medical speciality that deals with teeth, gum, nerves, and jaw. At the same time, orthodontics is a speciality within dentistry that focuses on correcting bites, occlusion, and the straightness of teeth. One crucial difference is that an orthodontist like Dr Parijat Pallav M.D.S. is a dentist, but not all dentists are licensed orthodontists.

How are they similar?

The main similarity between a dentist and orthodontist is that they both focus on oral care. An orthodontist can work in a dental office and provide the same care as a dentist. So in this respect, they are quite similar. They are both considered doctors and deal with the teeth and gums.

How are they different?

There are more differences than similarities. An orthodontist requires three years of additional education and training as a dental speciality; the situation is similar to a doctor who obtains further education to become a surgeon. Another difference is that orthodontists specialise in helping patients with the alignment of their teeth, improving their bite, or fitting them for corrective braces and devices. If a patient has an overbite, a dentist will refer him or her to an orthodontist.

Dentists typically encourage good oral hygiene and provide services related to:

• Tooth decay
• Root canals
• Gum disease
• Crowns
• Bridges
• Veneers
• Teeth whitening

Orthodontists are dentists that specialise in the alignment of teeth and provide services related to:

• Misaligned teeth
• Crowded teeth
• Overbite
• Underbite
• Protruded teeth
• The gap between the front tooth
• Large or small jaws
• Facial profile correction 

Orthodontists help with crooked teeth, but they assist patients with other issues as well. These include overbites and underbites, crossbites, spaces between teeth, overcrowding of teeth, and the treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Additional problems with the jaw also need to be treated by an orthodontist.

To learn more about the difference between dentists and orthodontists, or to schedule an initial consultation with Dr Parijat Pallav M.D.S. (Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics) please visit our website at www.balajidentalbraces.com and give our team at Balaji Dental and Orthodontics a call at our Srikrishna Nagar Patna Branch.