With many oral health professions in the world, you may wonder what an orthodontist is and whether or not you need to schedule an appointment with one. After all, there are dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, and dental hygienists. Without being told the difference, you may not know where to start when scheduled your teeth check up and cleaning appointments.

What is an orthodontist?

An orthodontist is a dentist too, however an orthodontist has undergone extra, specialized training in order to be able to diagnose, prevent, and treat issues in the jaw and in your teeth. The training for orthodontists is more elaborate and encompasses a much larger range of disorders, diseases, irregularities, and ways to fix or better oral health problems.

On average, becoming an orthodontist can require roughly 12 years of studying and training and a legitimate university. This includes completion of all of the education requirements that are completed by general dentists in a similar field. 

What does an orthodontist do?

Orthodontists work to fix a variety of problems in and of the mouth. The problems they work to fix can range from small misalignments in the teeth, to huge disruptions or injuries to the jaw bone and face. These can include surgical conditions like: 

-crooked teeth

-underbites

-teeth obstructions

-jaw misalignments 

Conclusion

You may or may not feel like you are needing to see an oral surgeon, however, it is always best to be sure. In order to find out if an oral surgeon is your recommendation for the care that you need, simply call Burke and Beckstrom today so that you can have any and all of your questions answered. At Burke and Beckstrom you will be given a full treatment plan that addresses all of your oral health concerns and a proposed plan to fix any irregularities that are causing you trouble.