The More You Know

www.americanboardortho.com

There seems to be a lack of understanding about who should be providing you with your orthodontic care. You may have already started asking yourself if you should seek treatment for braces or clear aligners from your general family dentist or a certified orthodontic specialist. 

Making the decision to get orthodontic treatment is an important one that will affect your dental health for a lifetime…so it’s important that you are informed of the significant differences in care between a certified orthodontist and a general dentist. 

Did you know that 100% of orthodontists are dentists, but only 7% of dentists are orthodontists? 

A general dentist must complete 8,000 hours of dental training for their dental degree. While an orthodontist must start with that same dental training and continue on with another 4,000-6,000 hours in an accredited residency program to learn orthodontic basics. 

A general dentist is wonderful for routine dental work, but the scope of their practice is preventive, cosmetic and restorative. Orthodontists, on the other hand, are trained specialist and have the expertise in smile and facial esthetics, jaw function, facial growth and development, tooth movement, alignment of teeth and jaws and straightening of teeth. Thus, orthodontists have the best experience, judgement and certifications to give the best orthodontic treatment for all patients. 

At Lenz Orthodontics we understand that your smile is priceless and want you to be confident in knowing that our office is the clear choice when it comes to orthodontic treatment for you and your family.