Patients often ask me this question and then follow it with another question–how is an orthodontist different from a dentist? I can answer this question easily: Experience, training and value.

As specialists, orthodontists have received an additional two to three years of full time education, following dental school, at an accredited orthodontic residency program.

The specialized training received by an orthodontist focuses on jaw growth and development as well as diagnosing, preventing and treating a wide range of issues including malocclusions and discrepancies in jaw growth. This additional education could be compared to the additional training received by an obstetrician during their residency following general medical training. This extra training prepares the obstetrician to be better qualified than a family doctor to deliver babies, identify possible issues before they cause problems and to respond correctly to any complications that may arise.

Experience is another big difference that sets orthodontists apart from regular dentists. Since orthodontists correct facial profiles, straighten teeth and create attractive smiles, they get significant experience over the course of treating hundreds of patients a year. Regular dentists, however, may only handle a small number of these types of cases each year among all their usual work. The combination of orthodontic training with plenty of experience makes orthodontists better able to tell the difference between simple and complex cases. When cases become more difficult to handle, orthodontists can more easily take care of these problems to reach a positive outcome.

Finally, orthodontists are frequently as affordable as dentists for more advanced care. Many people are surprised that orthodontists’ fees are often about equal to those of dentists. Greater efficiency is often to thank for this. Orthodontists and their staff are specially trained and possess all the necessary equipment for focusing on orthodontic treatments. General dentists, on the other hand, may only perform occasional orthodontic work between their normal dental work. This causes fees to be similar, but the specialized experience and equipment of the orthodontist provides an optimal result to the patient.

In conclusion, there are many excellent dentists providing general dental care and basic orthodontic procedures to patients with good outcomes. There are, however, many clear advantages to choosing an orthodontist when you want to have an amazing smile created by an expert.

Houston Orthodontist, Dr. Brad Jennings provides an insightful look into the differences between the Damon System and Invisalign.

The Damon System is widely viewed by dentists and orthodontic professionals as a high quality orthodontic treatment with a number of unique advantages. At the same time, it works in an entirely different way to the Invisalign system, so for most patients, choosing between treatments is a relatively straightforward process.

The main difference between the Damon System and Invisalign is that the Damon System use fixed brackets. However, this is far from being a conventional bracket design. Rather than exerting pressure on the teeth through the use of rubber ties or steel ties (remember the wires sticking out of your mouth when you had braces?) , the Damon System is built around a slide mechanism that performs the same function, but with minimal friction.

The reduced friction means that the bracket works more efficiently and the teeth move into place more quickly. Therefore, treatment times are shortened and the number of visits to the orthodontist reduced versus conventional braces.

Invisalign uses a series of clear, medical grade plastic aligners to straighten your teeth. Treatment time is usually 9-12 months for moderately difficult malocclusions. You must wear the aligners about 20 hours per day, essentially pretending they’re glued to your teeth like braces. You remove them when you eat and brush your teeth. Aligners are changed out about every 10 days.

So how do I choose between Damon braces and Invisalign?

There are some things that Damon braces does better as there are some things that Invisalign does better. There are also times where either one will give you the same result. There are times when I may even use Invisalign on the top teeth and braces on the lower teeth. A consultation with your orthodontic specialist should decide whether Invisalign or the Damon System should be your preferred treatment. It is important to remember also that the kind of treatment you use is only part of the picture. It is also important to ensure that you have a good relationship with your orthodontist so that they know exactly what you want from your treatment. If you are clear about your requirements, your orthodontist will be clear about what sort of treatment you need to achieve them.

For a free orthodontic consultation with Dr. Jennings, please visit http://www.drjenningsortho.com or call (281) 497-7920.