Who is an orthodontist?

You keep hearing us use the term orthodontist instead of dentist but what does that even mean? You’ve always gone to a dentist for all your dental procedures, whether it may be for whitening or scaling or your root canal, so then who are these orthodontists we speak so fondly of?

Orthodontists and dentists are both experts in teeth - but they both have their own areas of excellence. A dentist is more of a general physician for your mouth whereas an orthodontist specialises in the diagnosis, prevention and correction of maligned teeth and jaws.

So when we say we work with orthodontists instead of dentists - it’s not one is better than the other argument, but rather each being good at different things and an orthodontist being a specialist in the area of service.  

What do orthodontists specialise in?

While all orthodontists are dentists, not all dentists are orthodontists. An orthodontist first goes to dental school, becomes a dentist and then continues his/her education in orthodontics - that’s around 2-3 years of learning the ins and outs of jaw bone movement.

Orthodontists have extensive knowledge of the bone remodelling process - which is why they can guide the teeth movement for all cases without any surgery. During their training they also get in-depth knowledge of different tools available for teeth straightening, from traditional metal braces, ceramic braces or Invisible Braces, they are well adept with the processes, required treatment plans and influences of each.

In recent years, Invisible Braces or Clear Aligners have gained popularity amongst orthodontists for teeth straightening. Invisible Braces are tight fitting transparent trays that come in multiple sets, Smileneo produces using end-to-end 3D technology and delivers results in only 6 months avg. They are accessible, fast, hassle-free and ideal for adults with their non-intrusive approach.

Over the years, the clear aligner technology has become a lot more advanced and also a lot more accessible. Smileneo, for example, introduced the future of tele-dentistry, connecting its customers with an orthodontist via a mobile application.