What’s The Difference Between An Orthodontist and a Dentist?

What’s The Difference Between An Orthodontist and a Dentist?

It says “health is wealth”. Without decent health, we will be unable to achieve our goals. To maintain our health, we need to follow specific guidelines like having proper food, doing adequate exercise, and conducting regular check-ups. For regular check-ups, we need to visit the specialists. For example, one needs to go to an optician or an ophthalmologist for an eye check-up. Likewise, for our teeth, we need to see a dentist or an orthodontist.

Now, these two might seem similar, but they are not. So if one is confused between these two, they are not the first ones. Yes, both dentists and orthodontists deal with dental problems, and both have their clinics, like dentist mississauga clinic, but that doesn’t make them the same. 

So what exactly are the differences between a dentist and an orthodontist? Let’s see if we can find out! 

Who is an orthodontist? 

Unlike dentists, orthodontists have to complete their dental degree, and then they have to take a specialist degree of three years. Orthodontists have specialised in facial growth and other development related to teeth.  

Who is a dentist? 

Dentists are doctors who have achieved a General Dental Degree. A general dentist is very similar to one’s family doctor. They are also essential for one’s overall dental health and hygiene. Dental clinics like the dental mississauga clinic have many dentists who are available for routine dental check-ups.

Now let us see what the prime differences between a dentist and an orthodontist are.

The Prime Differences Between A Dentist And An Orthodontist: 

There are many differences between a dentist and an orthodontist. The list of the prime differences are given below: 

Dentist Orthodontist
Surgery The significant difference between an orthodontist and a dentist is that a dentist can perform surgery. Whereas an orthodontist cannot perform surgery. 
Degrees A dentist needs only a dental degree, nothing else.  On the other hand, an orthodontist needs a dental degree, like a dentist, and a specialised degree of an orthodontist.
Speciality Dentists are specialised in different aspects of oral and dental health. For example, unlike orthodontists, dentists are not trained to put on braces.   Orthodontists specialise in different types of facial growth and other forms of dental development.
Job The job of a dentist is to diagnose and then treat diseases that affect our gum and our teeth. Dentists can even recommend X-rays if necessary. On the other hand, an orthodontist’s job is to take care of the alignment of our teeth and jaw. They also deal with different types of malocclusion. In other words, orthodontists deal with dental flaws, like crooked teeth or overcrowded teeth.

There are several renowned dental clinics all over the world, like the dental Mississauga clinic. 

Final Words

To maintain our oral health and take care of the teeth properly, one needs a dentist and an orthodontist. They have their differences. They are unique in their ways. But the question remains, how do we know whether to see a dentist or an orthodontist? Well, I think the differences and the points mentioned above have answered the question pretty well.  

Edward Powell