There are many different procedures that you can get to help improve the look and feel of your smile. The professional you will seek out to get this work done can depend on what specifically you would like to improve. There are many dental professionals that you can choose from, all of whom will work hard to transform your smile. Two of these are cosmetic dentists and orthodontists. But are there two professionals the same?
Cosmetic dentistry and orthodontists are not the same professions, explains Song Cosmetic Dentistry, an experienced cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills. Cosmetic dentistry is going to help to enhance the smile through crowns, veneers, and teeth whitening to make it look better. Orthodontics will focus more on helping with the structural aspects of the teeth and jaws, such as jaw problems and teeth crowding. Both can help make your smile look better.
Let’s take a closer look at what cosmetic dentistry and orthodontists do and how both of these can be similar in some ways and different in others.
What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
First, we will take a look at cosmetic dentistry. This is aimed at enhancing a smile through a variety of different procedures. The goal is to help the patient deal with color irregularities of the teeth, missing teeth, and malformed teeth. A cosmetic dentist is often going to provide a number of different services to the patient, including:
- Crowns
- Dental implants
- Teeth whitening
- Veneers
The point of cosmetic dentistry is to focus on the cosmetic side of the spectrum. This means that the treatment options will be limited to mostly superficial areas of the teeth. Orthodontics will be a little different in the kind of approach they like to use.
What is Orthodontics
In comparison to cosmetic dentistry, orthodontists are going to work to help improve your smile, but they are able to do this in a different way. Most orthodontists are going to focus more on the structural aspect of the teeth and jaws rather than the surface issues like cosmetic dentistry will do. Some of the issues of the mouth that the orthodontist will use include:
- Crooked teeth
- Jaw abnormalities
- Crowding and spacing issues
- Bite problems like an overbite or an underbite
Orthodontists will work to help tackle some of the issues in the teeth that fall below the surface. This can help to guide your teeth to a better position in the mouth. There are a lot of different treatments available through an orthodontist, including retainers, expanders, Invisalign, and braces, to name a few.
Orthodontics Vs. Cosmetic Dentistry
Now that we have a better idea of what each of these two specialties will do individually, it is time to see how they compare to one another. This can help you make the right decisions on which dental specialist to see for your oral health.
Cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics will be different aspects of dental care. Because of this, they are going to be performed by two totally different professionals and will take care of different issues that are in the mouth.
To start, cosmetic dentists are going to have training in all of the latest ground-breaking procedures and techniques. The goal is to help you improve the look of your smile. But they are going to do this in a manner that will focus on all of the surface issues of the teeth, such as making them whiter or covering up a few issues like cracks and chips in the tooth. It will not dive into some of the structural changes of the mouth at all.
Then we have the orthodontists. These are also dentists, but they go a bit further with the kind of care they can provide. They are going to have additional training to help them address problems that occur with the structure of the mouth. The goal of this is to help alleviate some of the discomforts that the patient has, along with any issues with their chewing, biting, and the appearance of the teeth as well.
Both of these professionals are going to make the smile and mouth of the patient look better than before. One side will focus on the surface level and getting rid of some of the imperfections that show up, and the other side will focus more on fixing some of the structural damage that can show up in the teeth and in the jawline. Both are important to keeping your smile as healthy and strong as possible.
Choosing the Right Dental Professional for You
The right dental professional will be able to help you improve your smile and see some amazing results. Whether you choose to visit an orthodontist or a cosmetic dentist will depend on the exact issues that are going on in your mouth and what work you need to be done to feel and look your very best.
