What's the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist?

Even before the patient enters the consultation room, the orthodontist has already formed an initial impression of the situation. Since the aim is to make the smile more attractive, a simple observation of the face is all it takes to establish an assessment of the case to be treated.

A good orthodontist is therefore able to make an initial diagnosis even before the patient opens his or her mouth. This is because the teeth form a whole with the rest of the face, and are not the only ones involved in orthodontic work. For this reason, the leading journal for orthodontists is the "Revue d'orthopédie dento-faciale".

An orthodontist must therefore know how to analyze the outside before treating the inside. In a nutshell, this is how it works: starting from the outside, the orthodontist goes to the inside to define the problem. He then observes the inside (the teeth), then the outside (the face) to prescribe an appropriate treatment.

What does an orthodontist do?

An orthodontist's sole objective should not be the alignment of teeth. In the 1960s and 1970s, this view of the profession was very much in vogue, but today it's imperative that orthodontists take the smile into account. Tooth alignment is no longer an end in itself. Today, it's the overall harmony of the face that counts.

Unlike dentists, orthodontists rarely treat cavities, only occasionally perform extrac- tions and do not fit prostheses.

In fact, these interventions do not constitute the core of his specialization.