Caroline Springs Orthodontics: What is an Orthodontist

What is Orthodontics and What is an Orthodontist?

Orthodontics is the dental specialty which focuses on the correct alignment of the teeth and jaws. "Ortho" means correct and "dont" means teeth. So orthodontics is the correct alignment of the teeth. The specialty of orthodontics within the dental field has been around for well over a hundred years and was the first recognized specialty within the dental field.

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Orthodontists are also specialists in dento-facial orthopedics. This means that an orthodontist has expertise not only in aligning the teeth, but also in the correct alignment of the jaws. A person may have what looks like straight teeth, but the jaws don't line up correctly. If the jaws are out of sync with each other, a bite problem can exist that may lead to tooth or gum injury.

Orthodontists are first trained as dentists. After dental school they attend additional full-time training for 2 to 3 years to become a specialist in orthodontics. So all orthodontists are dentists, but not all dentists are orthodontists. Less that 6 percent of dentists are certified orthodontists.

A general dentist can perform orthodontics for people, but cannot state that they are an orthodontist. For a list of qualified certified orthodontists in your area, you can visit the American Association of Orthodontists website at http://www.braces.org. There is a link that will give you the information to find a qualified orthodontist in your area. {article source: to read the full story, click here}