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\nIf you\u2019re like many people, at some point you have wondered, what is an orthodontist? What exactly do they do? What conditions can they treat? How are they different from a regular dentist? Keep reading to find the answers to all of these questions and more.<\/p>\n
An orthodontist is a medical professional who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating facial and dental irregularities. Most people think of crooked teeth and overbites as the orthodontist\u2019s specialties, but orthodontists can treat a much wider array of problems. An orthodontist can realign a crooked jaw, which can alleviate problems with chewing, swallowing, speech, and even the face\u2019s general appearance.<\/p>\n
Each orthodontist starts out as a fully-certified dentist. Just like medical doctors choose a specialty such as cardiology, dentists may choose to pursue a specialty, like orthodontics. Becoming an orthodontist requires three additional years of university-based study. Admission to orthodontic programs is extremely selective. About 6% of dentists are orthodontists.<\/p>\n
Experts recommend that children make their first visit to the orthodontist around age seven. This is too early to diagnose the need for braces, but it\u2019s a prime opportunity to identify emerging malformations that can best be treated early on.<\/p>\n
For adults with uncorrected dental misalignments, an orthodontist can make a huge difference in self-confidence. It\u2019s easier than ever to achieve a beautiful smile at any age, because there are so many options available to straighten teeth and align the jaw. Just because you didn\u2019t have braces as a teenager doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re destined to have crooked teeth forever.<\/p>\n