Expert Contributor
Reasons to Choose an Orthodontic Specialist to Straighten Your Teeth By Richard Anthony, DDS MS, Blackhawk Orthodontics
T
he history of orthodontic treatment has been intimately linked with the history of dentistry for more that 2000 years. Archaeologists have discovered mummified ancients with metal bands wrapped around individual teeth. In the modern era of dentistry--up until the last couple of decades—the orthodontic specialist was the exclusive provider of treatment to straighten your teeth. Now, with the advent of “glue-on” braces and prefabricated computer fabricated clear removable aligners, many nonorthodontists are now offering orthodontic treatment options. You now even find internet videos and websites which encourage people to try to straighten your own teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists is urging consumers to be wary of any suggestions to move teeth with rubber bands, dental floss, or other objects ordered on the internet. I have also recently viewed internet videos that provide information to render “do-it-yourself” orthodontic treatment by providing instructions to fabricate crude plastic aligners from plaster cast in your own home.
Orthodontics is one of the oldest specialty fields in dentistry. An orthodontic specialist completes three or four years of pre-dental university education, followed by four years of dental school, and then an additional two or three years of advanced training and practice in a university or clinical setting. General dental education does include some basic orthodontic information, however the additional two to three years of specialty training provides a basis for rendering the best orthodontic health care according the latest scientific principles and time-tested clinical practice. There are a lot of treatment options these days, from retainers to clear aligners to tooth-colored, metal, and micro-braces. Orthodontists have the specialized knowledge to consider all possibilities, based on variables like your age, possible jaw imbalances, differences in the size of your teeth, and more. They know what to use and when to use it, and will work with your to make the best decision—for your best smile.
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