Braces - orthodontist or dentist?

Smythe

If having braces fitted (possibly ceramics) is it advantageous to go to an orthodontist as opposed to a dentist who also offers the treatment?

Both would be in Ireland.

Really, I'm wondering if I should restrict possible options only to orthodontists or also consider dentists?

Thank you

day dreamer

Any dentist is entitled to provide orthodontic treatment if they want to.

An orthodontist is a dentist that has done at least 3 further years of full time study in orthodontics. I think that for a complex case you should go to an orthodontist and without seeing you it is not possible to say if your treatment would be complex or straightforward. Only an orthodontist will be able to provide all the treatment options for you.

Talk with a friend who had treatment and look up www.loveyoursmile.ie

Good luck

btkm8unsl0w5r4

With Orthodontists often providing treatment for the same price or less than the heavily marketed general dental clinics, (who have little or no formal orthodontic training or only part time correspondence courses), i think you would be mad to go to anyone but a proper orthodontist.

Mingetoad

How about a general dentist who has spent time gaining knowledge and experience in treating minor-moderate malocclusions orthodontically?
I have worked with a few dentists who I would very happily refer all but the most difficult cases to. They also would not take on cases they are not equipped to.
Please do not make out that a specialist is always needed. Most general dentists can do a crown to a high level. Most general dentists can take out a tooth competently. Most general dentists can carry out single tooth endodontics.
And, believe it or not, SOME general dentists can carry out orthodontics to a good level.

In fact, I know one semi-retired GENERAL dentist who works part time with an orthodontist. He actually treatment plans and carries out many of the cases. How do I know this? I worked there.

kkth0360

Mingetoad wrote: »

How about a general dentist who has spent time gaining knowledge and experience in treating minor-moderate malocclusions orthodontically?
I have worked with a few dentists who I would very happily refer all but the most difficult cases to. They also would not take on cases they are not equipped to.
Please do not make out that a specialist is always needed. Most general dentists can do a crown to a high level. Most general dentists can take out a tooth competently. Most general dentists can carry out single tooth endodontics.
And, believe it or not, SOME general dentists can carry out orthodontics to a good level.

All this is true, but the problem for a patient is in knowing which general dentists can provide competent orthodontic treatment, and which ones have no real clue what they're doing but are having a go at orthodontics to try to boost their income (a minority, but there are a few around).

If their own general dentist tells them they can provide the treatment themselves, or recommends another general dentist who does orthodontic treatment (and the patient's dentist is satisfied as to the competence of this other dentist to carry out the treatment to an appropriate standard) a patient they may feel happy to follow that advice, but they have no real way to independently confirm the expertise or otherwise of the dentist providing the orthodontic treatment. It is therefore very reasonable for a patient to ask to be referred to a specialist orthodontist instead if they so prefer.

By choosing a registered specialist orthodontist any uncertainty is removed - the patient can be sure that the orthodontist is appropriately trained and competent to carry out all types of orthodontic treatment for all types of orthodontic problems. That's why the specialist register was introduced by The Dental Council - to provide members of the public with a way to confirm that an orthodontist has attained the required level of training and expertise to be considered a specialist in the field.

OP, you can find some information from the Dental Council, and a link to the specialist registers at http://dentalcouncil.ie/specialistregisters.php

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Mingetoad wrote: »

Most general dentists can take out a tooth competently. Most general dentists can carry out single tooth endodontics.
And, believe it or not, SOME general dentists can carry out orthodontics to a good level.

Suppose the difference is that all orthodontist carry out orthodontics to a high standard not just some, and seeing as there is no difference in cost, treatment time and there is over 200 orthodontists in the country it makes the decision for patients pretty easy.

Mingetoad

The cost issue is something I didn't want to bring up, but I suppose I have to as it is really the crux of the issue.
The 'cosmetic' clinics that heavily advertise certainly cannot have any claim on value compared to an orthodontist. I do refer some class 1 cases to a very competent general dentist who charges about €2000 for fixed upper and lower braces. Many of my patients would not have orthodontics if the only option was an orthodontist. I have spoken to the specialist orthodontist I refer to. He just said he is not interested in competing with those prices, but did acknowledge that he knew the dentist in question and had nothing bad to say about the work he carried out.
The reason I brought up the point was to point out that there are general dentists out there doing orthodontic work to a good level at a cost lower than orthodontists. The heavy advertisers who carry out 'six month braces', Inman etc are a million miles from these dentists and that needed to be pointed out.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I think on a public forum like this the best advice for most people is to go see a proper orthodontist, everything else adds to the haze of confusion for patients about dental treatment.

Mingetoad

Perhaps we'll agree to disagree.

Is it not a tenet of medicine that a patient is REFERRED to a specialist? It is a different debate and one outside of the scope of this discussion, but it would be to the detriment of dentistry if all orthodontic work was moved to the realm of specialist care.

A public forum like this should exist to educate and inform the public, not give them a blanket "Go and see a specialist because anyone else might be a shyster". I'm certainly not going to name names, but there are specialists I know that would never get near my dogs teeth never mind my patients.

If you want to avoid "adding to the haze" is it not better to just advise that a person finds a dentist they like and trust, build a great relationship with and then jointly make decisions on any referrals/treatments?

Lilly one

Seriously why would you pay for a specialist form of treatment and not have a specialist carry out the work!! Regardless of how much experience a general dentist has at doing orthodontic work he/she is still not as specialised as an orthodontist is, and your paying for it. I have yet to see a general dentist charge a knock down price for orthodontic treatment regardless! Get what your paying for!!! you wouldn't pay for a porche and drive home in a lada.

Mingetoad

Lilly one wrote: »

Seriously why would you pay for a specialist form of treatment and not have a specialist carry out the work!! Regardless of how much experience a general dentist has at doing orthodontic work he/she is still not as specialised as an orthodontist is, and your paying for it. I have yet to see a general dentist charge a knock down price for orthodontic treatment regardless! Get what your paying for!!! you wouldn't pay for a porche and drive home in a lada.

Agreed. But what if the general dentist was charging about half the price and your case was straightforward enough for that dentist to get a very good result?

Not everyone is a complex case. Those that are should always be treated by a specialist. Those that aren't may find a good solution with a competent, ethical general dentist.

The 'cosmetic' specialists (some of whom seem to pay a pretty penny to appear on these ages quite frequently:rolleyes:) have really given a bad name to those general dentists providing orthodontics at a high level and lower than specialist cost.

To add another point -sorry if it's getting tedious at this stage but I feel it is worth making- what about the general dentists who work in tandem with an orthodontist? The guys that have a 'visiting' orthodontist make the treatment plan and oversee all the treatment is being carried out to a good level. Of the guys I know providing this service the prices are a fair bit lower than specialist prices and the 'cosmetic' dentist prices.

I hope this thread shows that it isn't a simple matter that all orthodontics in Ireland is the same price so therefore everyone should go to an orthodontist. Rather, an orthodontist is the best qualified person to straighten teeth. In some milder cases a general dentist may have the knowledge and skill to achieve a good result at a lower price. But beware the people who charge specialist fees to get you a limited result in six months after they have done a weekend course in the US or London.