Orthodontist versus Non-Orthodontist
Only an orthodontist has the training, the experience and the treatment options to give you your best smile. Dr. Weeden is an orthodontic specialist and received her separate orthodontic degree from the University of Michigan after she received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. This allows her to assess the bite relationship of an individual and properly position the roots of the teeth for alignment and give you the best overall result. General dentists and non-licensed technicians do not have this education or training.
Typically your general dentist will diagnose, treat and manage your overall oral health care. This includes performing routine dental work like check-ups, cleanings, and X-rays. But a dentist will also remove or repair problem teeth, fill cavities and make models for dentures. A dentist office employs several dental hygienists, who typically take care of your X-rays and cleaning while helping the dentist with other tasks as needed.
Orthodontists specialize in areas that general dentists do not study. Orthodontists go through all the normal dental school education, and then focus their training on misaligned or crowded teeth, overbite, underbite, and other jaw problems. Tooth correction through Invisalign and braces are both areas of orthodontic study rather than general dentist studies and are best treated by an orthodontic specialist.
It’s important to realize that both dentists and orthodontists are oral health professionals that play a crucial role in the lifelong health of your smile. But orthodontists have additional schooling and lots of extra training in treating alignment issues. That is why it is so important to see an orthodontist when you have issues that only an orthodontist is qualified to treat. Even though general dentists are oral health experts, they are not orthodontic experts.
