How an Orthodontist Differs from a Dentist

An important factor in treatment outcomes.

An orthodontist is a dental specialist who has both graduated from dental school and completed a two to three-year post-doctorate Master’s program and residency in orthodontics focused solely on the diagnosis, treatment planning, and correction of misaligned teeth and jaws (Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics). Only graduates from such residencies may refer to themselves as orthodontists in the United States.

Orthodontists are uniquely trained to assess the facial formation of the growing child and the ongoing facial change of an adult (dentofacial orthopedics) and use this knowledge to influence that formation and improve appearance, occlusion (bite), and oral health over the lifetime through the movement of teeth and jaws.

In contrast, general dentists are trained to perform important preventive, restorative, and static cosmetic work.

General dentists are not trained to assess facial changes or to correctly diagnose or plan orthodontic treatments.

General dentists are not qualified to modify the Invisalign company’s automated treatment plans for correct movement sequence, occlusion, and facial balance, which is extensively required for over 95% of patients. This is a very important consideration. Determining which cases require modification, the type of modification required, and the method of modification is not in a dentist’s skill set.

The importance of post-doctorate education and clinical experience in orthodontics cannot be overstated.

Why Choose Dr. Wong for Treatment?

Dr. Wong, who has completed over 8,000 orthodontic cases, is recognized by his peers for expertise in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning, and execution, which is informed by in-depth knowledge of numerous orthodontic treatment approaches and appliances, including Invisalign aligners, braces, and surgically involved presentations.

Dr. Wong will evaluate not only your or your child’s teeth but also the soft and hard tissues of the face to determine the most pleasing and stable orthodontic position and, importantly, the efficient and effective means to reach that goal. Not all appliances are appropriate for all cases. Determining the route is as important as determining the destination.

For example, when utilizing the sought-after Invisalign appliance, Dr. Wong has developed novel techniques to overcome the mechanical limitations of aligners that allow him to efficiently and successfully treat a wide variety of cases with aligners, cases that would otherwise require a fixed appliance, such as braces.

Dr. Wong crafts innovative, customized treatment plans using aligners, employing extensive modifications to the aligners themselves to bring about movements in multiple directions. Unlike braces with sweeping arcs and multiple-direction capability, aligners can only push, not pull, limiting their effectiveness without such modifications.

As an orthodontist, Dr. Wong’s extensive knowledge of facial growth and change and their implications for treatment planning, combined with expertise in the use and modification of aligners and versatile fixed appliances, makes him a leading and trusted orthodontic practitioner who has gained recognition from his peers for his innovative treatment approaches and patient-first ethos.

Keep reading to learn what Dr. Wong considers when making treatment determinations.

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