An orthodontist is a specialty dentist who has been extensively trained to diagnose, prevent, and help treat any teeth and jaw problems. Orthodontists correct existing conditions and will identify any issues that can develop in the future. Our orthodontists work with patients of any age from young children to seniors.

The orthodontist’s primary goal is to ensure their patients get their teeth fixed or have removable devices applied like braces, retainers, and bands to ensure the change of the teeth’s position within the mouth aligns and makes it easier for the patient to chew, eat, smile, etc. Orthodontists can also treat the following:

– Crooked teeth
– Bite problems like cross, underbite, and overbite
– Crowded teeth
– Over spaced teeth
– Jaw misalignment

Orthodontists and dentists both specialize in the specific field of oral healthcare. Dentists are considered doctors who have extensively trained and studied general dentistry while diagnosing and treating oral conditions with your teeth, gums, mouth, and tongue.

Orthodontists also receive similar training to dentists, but they go an additional route for training and specialize in diagnosing and treating any misalignments of the teeth and jaw.

Dentists also provide the following dental services:

– Dental x-rays
– Fill cavities
– Extract damaged and/or decayed teeth
– Repair cracked teeth
– Promote oral health
– Promote oral hygiene
– Fill and bond any damaged teeth
– Diagnose and treat gum disease
– Prescribe options for treatment
– Teeth whitening
– Dental crowns
– Dental veneers
– Care for children’s teeth development
– Perform oral surgery

Orthodontists also provide the following dental services:

– Analysis of facial growth within child patients of their jawline and bite
– Diagnose and treat any teeth and jaw misalignment
– Create a customized treatment plan for our patients which may include braces and retainers
– Straightening teeth surgeries
– Install dental appliances that may include orthodontic headgear, braces, palatal expanders, and/or Herbst appliances

Even though orthodontists have completed the same education and training as dentists but have completed extra education and training they focus on other aspects of dental health. Orthodontists often will not work on fillings, as they specialize in different services within the same industry.

However, often orthodontists and dentists will work within the same clinic together which makes it easier for patients who are already going to an orthodontist for services like braces and other dental services, can easily visit the dentist within the same clinic for a filling. This is what is so fantastic about Friends Family Dental and Orthodontics, we have dentists and orthodontists working together in our clinic to help all of the patients here, in the end, you will be taken great care of.

At Friends Family Dental and Orthodontics, we follow specific recommendations and guidelines when it comes to children and their orthodontic health. The guidelines and recommendations laid out by the American Academy of Orthodontists that a child by the age of 7 should have an orthodontic examination due to children having a wide disparity in tooth development at the age of 7, which can be difficult for dentists to tell if the child does have an orthodontic issue, or if it is just normal development, this is where orthodontists come in. As well, an early orthodontic examination provides the access to catching issues easier on during the child’s natural growth process.

For more information, Contact us. We serve patients from Brooklyn NY, Manhattan NY, Bronx NY, Hoboken NJ, West New York NJ and surrounding areas.