It is important to understand the major difference between a dentist and orthodontist. If you think that both are the same, you need to correct your perception. A dentist is basically a medical expert who looks at all kinds and categories of dental problems including cavities, scaling, cleaning, polishing and other aspects. However, an orthodontist is more of a specialist dealing with tilted teeth and alignment problems. An example can be installation of braces or Invisalign. Now, this job has to be done by a specialist and this is where an orthodontist comes into play. If your child requires installation of braces or is facing any problem related to teeth alignment, visiting an orthodontist is better than a dentist.
Once you think you need to fix your teeth alignment or bite problem, it is time to choose the right one. When it comes to improving your health, anyone would want to go for the best possible option. However, the point is that you should be sure about looking at the best option.
Here are 5 important factors you should consider before finalizing an orthodontist.
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Self-examination or treatment by assistants
A lot of orthodontists do not treat more than fifty percent of the patients themselves. Instead, their assistants come into play and handle patient issues. Now, this can be a very risky venture since you cannot expect the assistants to have the same finesse and experience. Suppose that the orthodontist has a professional experience of 10 years and has a good name. Does this mean that his or her assistants would be equally experienced? The answer to this question is no.
Thus, while choosing an orthodontist, it has to be checked whether he would treat himself or his assistants would be doing most of the job. There is a big difference between the two.
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Relevant experience
A lot of dentists make career switches and become orthodontists. If someone has a total working experience of 10 years in the field of dentistry, it does not mean that he or she is immensely experienced as an orthodontist.
- Experience is very important and inexperienced orthodontists can mess up cases in no time. For instance, teeth alignment is a complex job and only experienced professionals who have been performing similar jobs can produce the best results. Therefore experience is very important and one should be sure about considering it while picking orthodontists.
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The Cost Factor
It is a fact that budget should not be given a lot of consideration in case of health. However, this also does not mean that the cost factor can be completely overruled. In addition to that, if multiple orthodontists are offering quality services, it is always good to compare them on the basis of price. This helps in getting hold of the most economical one.
- Start by filtering the top orthodontists located near you. Along with that, make sure that all of them are equally good and have a strong reputation. Once you are done with this, extract the ones with the lowest cost.
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Academic Qualifications and Certifications of the Orthodontist
The qualifications held by a medical professional make a huge impact. Medical professionals who have attained professional degrees instead of college diplomas are less likely to offer quality treatment. For example, if you live in Canada, orthodontists are specialists who need to pursue 3 extra years of education after completing the general dentistry requirements to be certified as an “orthodontist”.
- Before you select an orthodontist, go through the academic qualifications he holds. Is he certified? This is yet another question you need to ask yourself. Dentine issues carry a certain level of sensitivity and getting them treated by less qualified medical experts can be quite risky. Therefore, instead of making a hasty selection, try to get hold of a highly qualified and certified orthodontist.
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Overall Reputation
Simply relying on what the Orthodontist lists on his website is not wise thinking. It is obvious that he would not provide any negative content. This does not mean that he offers high standard medical services to his patients.
- Read their online Google reviews. Do not just look at the average star rating. Read the highest score and lowest reviews. Then you can see both sides of the story. Every situation is different and it is beneficial to do your homework. Some practitioners are very skilled and provide great results, but sometimes they have issues – such long wait times (from the low score reviews). If you do not mind waiting longer and would prefer to have a skilled specialist treat you, then it is fine.
- Family Braces in Calgary, for instance, has a very strong reputation and lots of positive reviews online. This assures you that they are a great office you can trust.
- Communicate with people who have attained his services as an orthodontist in the past. Do not rely on the feedback given by one person. Instead, have discussions with as many people as you can. This would provide you with the correct picture of how good or bad he is.