Who is an orthodontist?
Orthodontics is a dental specialty that concerns itself with bite alignment (bad bite) and tooth straightening. An orthodontist is a certified dentist specializing in orthodontics. They can diagnose, prevent, and treat dental issues such as misaligned, twisted, gapped, overlapped, or crooked teeth. They may use orthodontic treatments such as braces, retainers, and clear aligners to help resolve such orthodontic issues.
Orthodontic treatment can help you achieve evenly spaced, straight teeth that properly align with the opposing teeth and jaw, ensuring a healthy bite. It enables you to chew, eat, and speak properly. It also prevents various dental issues, such as gum disease, tooth decay, and pain or difficulty in chewing. Orthodontics can even identify underlying oral disorders. This helps treat various conditions early and stops them from becoming major dental complications. Orthodontics can treat dental problems in people of all ages, from children to older adults.
What training do orthodontists receive?
Orthodontists complete a pre-medical undergraduate degree, following which they join dental school. There, they complete coursework in subjects like oral health, dental anatomy and occlusion, pediatric dentistry, and dental practice competency and work in dental clinics to gain hands-on experience.
After graduating from dental school, they enroll in a residency program in orthodontics, which takes 2-3 years to complete. During their residency, they receive in-depth training about common orthodontic techniques and practices.
Upon completing the residency, orthodontics can earn certification from the American Board of Orthodontics by clearing written and oral exams. They must maintain this certification by passing renewal exams every ten years.
Differences between orthodontists and dentists
Although all orthodontists are dentists, not all dentists are orthodontists.
Here are the main differences between the two:
- Both orthodontists and dentists receive similar dental education and focus on oral health. But, orthodontists undergo additional education and training to specialize in teeth and jaw alignment.
- After dental school, general dentists must pass the National Dental Examination to become licensed dentists. Meanwhile, orthodontists must obtain specialty certification in orthodontics before they can practice.
- Orthodontists can supervise jawline and bite development in children. They can perform teeth straightening surgery, diagnose and treat bad bites or malocclusion, and recommend appropriate retainers or braces. On the other hand, dentists mainly refer such patients to an orthodontist for proper orthodontic treatment.
What conditions do orthodontists treat?
You can see an orthodontist near you for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various conditions, such as:
- Overbite (buck teeth): This condition occurs when your top front teeth extend beyond the ones at the bottom. While most people have a slight overbite, a severe overbite can result in jaw pain, tooth decay, gum disease, breathing problems, and difficulty chewing. Overbite correction treatments include using braces, growth modification devices (also known as palate expanders), and retainers. Your doctor might also suggest making room for your adult teeth by removing baby teeth.
- Underbite: An underbite occurs when your bottom front teeth stick out, extending beyond the ones at the top. Its symptoms include jaw pain, bad breath, discomfort while chewing, and biting the insides of your mouth. Over time, an underbite can cause complications like cavities, gum disease, and sleep apnea. Treatment options for correcting an underbite are the same as those for overbite correction. Additionally, your doctor might recommend reconstructive surgery to align your bite.
- Gingivitis: Gingivitis, an early form of periodontal (gum) disease, is an infection and inflammation that destroys the tissue supporting your teeth. This disease can affect your gums, the bones supporting your teeth, and periodontal ligaments. Over time, it can also cause tooth decay. Symptoms of gingivitis include mouth sores, swollen gums, bad breath, and bleeding from the gums while brushing or flossing. Maintaining proper oral hygiene and getting teeth cleanings from a dental professional twice a year can help prevent this condition. Your dentist might also recommend replacing your dental appliances and using antibacterial mouth rinses.
What are some examples of orthodontic treatments?
Orthodontists offer a wide range of treatments. These include:
- Braces: Orthodontists use braces to straighten your teeth and correct various orthodontic issues, including gapped, crowded, and crooked teeth. These devices use mild, constant pressure to move your teeth into their correct positions over time. You can consult your doctor and choose among metal, ceramic, lingual, and self-ligating braces.
- Retainers: Teeth retainers are custom-made devices you wear over your teeth. They help hold your teeth in their new, proper position. Most dentists use a mix of fixed and removable retainers to keep your teeth straight and make your alignment last longer.
- Clear aligners: Clear aligners are a common alternative to braces. If you opt for it, doctors will provide you with a series of clear, custom-made aligner trays, and you must wear each set of trays for a few weeks before switching to the next one. Over time, the aligners will move your teeth into their correct positions.
- Palate expanders: Palate expanders are oral devices that dentists use to widen narrow upper jaws. Your orthodontist might recommend this treatment if you have dental concerns like a crossbite or overcrowded teeth. Depending on your age and the severity of your condition, you might need to wear palate expanders for a few weeks, several months, or up to a year.
- Headgears: Orthodontic headgear, a device dentists use to fix malocclusion, aligns your child's teeth and jaws by placing gentle pressure on them. Over time, the device encourages their still-forming jaw bones to align, curing conditions like underbite, overbite, and overjet. Depending on their purpose, orthodontic headgear can be of various types, including high pull, cervical pull, and reverse pull.
Why begin orthodontic treatment at a young age?
You may be aware of the numerous cosmetic advantages of orthodontic treatment, including the impact on one's self-image and how others treat them. You should be aware that these benefits extend far beyond aesthetics. Good orthodontic treatment can improve a person's general health. The most significant time to begin the remedial procedure is early, ideally during childhood.
The American Association of Orthodontics advises that every child should have their first orthodontist visit once they are seven years old. This examination provides a baseline evaluation of a child's teeth and jaws, which can aid in identifying issues, if any. The goals of orthodontics are the prevention, detection, and treatment of dental and skeletal abnormalities. Malocclusion is the technical word for a poor bite. By the time they turn seven, most children have permanent teeth in both their upper and lower jaws. When the child's permanent teeth erupt, an orthodontist can assess the child's bite's development and determine any potential problems.
An orthodontist can predict how your child's teeth will develop as they grow by evaluating their mouth when they are still young. Orthodontists can more efficiently direct the jaw and teeth growth through early therapy, which also helps avoid crowding.
Drawbacks of starting orthodontic treatment late
If tooth overcrowding does not receive treatment, many more teeth may need removal. Thumb sucking, bruxism, and other unhealthy oral habits can also create issues that make adult remedial operations more challenging. Also, it is far more difficult to clean teeth that are crooked adequately. If you begin your child's orthodontic treatment at the age advised by the American Association of Orthodontics, you can avoid all these problems. Early orthodontic treatment dramatically reduces your child's future dental care requirements. In addition, it aids in the early development of positive oral hygiene practices.
What are the steps in orthodontic treatment?
Diagnosis
On your first visit, the orthodontist may conduct a detailed oral examination, including:
- Obtaining a complete medical and dental health history
- Performing a clinical examination
- Taking photos of the mouth, smile, and face
- Taking X-rays of the teeth and jaw
- Creating plaster models
These tests help identify the type of teeth misalignment and aid the orthodontist in planning proper orthodontic treatment.
Treatment plan
Treatments can begin when the adult teeth have fully formed and erupted, typically around 12 or 13. If issues do not surface until later, treatment might start later. Orthodontic therapy may be necessary for cleft lip and palate in children before their adult teeth have fully grown.
Good oral hygiene is crucial before commencing orthodontic treatment. Food particles are more likely to lodge when appliances are placed on the teeth. For the duration of treatment, the patient will need to brush more meticulously and frequently.
There is a chance of tooth decay during therapy due to poor oral hygiene habits. Additionally, the orthodontist can advise refraining from sugary foods, fizzy drinks, and other items that can lead to tooth decay.
Selecting a device
Specific orthodontic requirements will determine the kind of braces to be used. Some of them, like Invisalign, do not require the placement of steel wires across the teeth. Others, like Insignia braces, may be specially created using computer technology. Modern orthodontic procedures are also more effective than conventional braces because you may customize them to fit your mouth precisely. Retainers are typically required after treatment to keep the smile intact.
Find the best orthodontist near you in Los Angeles, CA
Orthodontic treatment can last for long durations, especially in children. Therefore, it is crucial to find a trusted and reliable practitioner who is not only experienced in handling different types of cases but is also available to handle complex emergencies.
With Zocdoc, your search for the best orthodontist becomes much more accessible. You can access a list of top-rated orthodontists in Los Angeles by mentioning the conditions, location, preferred date, and insurance carrier. You can also refine your search with the filters.
All practitioners listed on Zocdoc have dedicated profiles, which contain information about the practitioner's education, experience, certification, and other essential credentials, gender, spoken language, familiarity with the most recent treatments, patient reviews, open appointments, and working hours. These details help you choose an orthodontist near you who checks all your boxes.
Using Zocdoc’s insurance detector, you can quickly identify in-network providers near you. While you can add medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account, you can only search for and schedule an appointment with one insurance plan at a time. In case you have multiple plans, you can mention your secondary insurance plan and carrier in your notes for the provider in the last step of the booking process. If your provider uses Zocdoc’s intake forms, you can add details about your secondary insurance while filling out your forms online. For more insurance-related queries, check Zocdoc's patient help center.
Zocdoc allows you to book appointments with your preferred orthodontist near you on weekends and after work hours, depending on their availability. All appointment bookings are fast, free, and secure!
Orthodontist statistics in California
According to a UCLA Health Policy Research Center survey, California has more dentists than any other State, roughly 35,000. California now has 3.9 dentists for every 5000 residents.
Dentists in California are more diverse in terms of race and ethnicity than dentists nationwide.
California had a higher percentage of female dentists than the rest of the US in 2015, with 33.9% female dentists (28.9%). The proportion of female dentists in the state is predicted to reach 46% by 2035.
As of March 2019, most dentists in California practice general dentistry (81.2%). The remainder were specialists in endodontics (2.2%), oral surgery (2.3%), orthodontics (3.8%), pedodontics (2.4%), periodontics (2.1%), and other fields (6.1%). It is congruent with national estimates; roughly one-fifth of dentists in the United States specialize in their areas.
In 2018, IBISWorld pegged the number of dental offices in California at 30,693. About 2.2 million Californians, or about 5.6% of the state's population, lived in one of the 65 dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) that existed in California as of 2017.
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Cody Dental Group
Medical News Today
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