{"id":239,"date":"2015-07-06T15:35:17","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T15:35:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.viennapleasantdental.com\/?page_id=239"},"modified":"2015-07-06T15:35:17","modified_gmt":"2015-07-06T15:35:17","slug":"what-is-an-orthodontist","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/procedures\/orthodontics\/what-is-an-orthodontist\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an Orthodontist?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content\">\n<div id=\"StylizedImage\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/styles.prosites.com\/litesite\/2018\/GenedImages\/Stylized\/s_Orthodontics-2046243307.jpg\" id=\"ctl00_ImageFlareStylized1_ImageFlareStylized1\">\n        <\/div>\n<p>    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/&lt;![CDATA[\nSys.WebForms.PageRequestManager._initialize('ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$sm', 'aspnetForm', [], [], [], 90, 'ctl00');\n\/\/]]&gt;\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Item_Name\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_PageServiceLineItemName\">\n<div style=\"float:left\"><span id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_Pagename\">What is an Orthodontist?<\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"float:right\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"PageService_Line_Group_Items\">\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p align=\"justify\">In much the same way as doctors choose to specialize in areas such as cardiology and neurology, dentists can also choose to specialize. &nbsp;Orthodontics is a dental specialty which aims to prevent, diagnose and treat facial and dental irregularities, such as malocclusions (bad bites).&nbsp; Many orthodontic practices are limited to dentofacial orthopedics and general orthodontics but can successfully treat patients of any age.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Orthodontists are fully qualified dentists who embark on a further three years of university-based study and gain extensive clinical experience in an orthodontic residency program. &nbsp;The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) is the regulating body for this branch of dentistry.&nbsp; Selecting an orthodontist who is a member of this organization adds the assurance that treatment is being administered by an individual with specialty education in oral biology and biomechanics.&nbsp; The AAO recommends that children should first be examined by the orthodontist around the age of seven, to ensure that jaw and tooth irregularities are not beginning to form.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\"><strong>What does an orthodontist do?<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Orthodontists are experts in correcting misalignments of the teeth and jaw.&nbsp; There are many debilitating problems associated with misalignment, for example, speech defects, difficulties chewing and difficulty maintaining adequate oral hygiene.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Here is a brief overview of some of the most common issues an orthodontist can successfully treat:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Anteroposterior deviations<\/strong> &ndash; Common examples of anteroposterior deviations include underbite (the lower teeth are positioned further forward than upper teeth) and overbite (the upper teeth are positioned further forward than the lower teeth).&nbsp; Both of these deviations can cause difficulty articulating and chewing.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Overcrowding<\/strong> &ndash; Overcrowding is one of the most common problems orthodontists treat.&nbsp; On occasion, lack of jawbone space means adult teeth cannot erupt in alignment with existing teeth. &nbsp;The orthodontist is able to realign the teeth using a number of unobtrusive devices and treatments.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Aesthetic issues<\/strong> &ndash; In some cases, the shape of the whole face is negatively impacted by malocclusions or a bad bite.&nbsp; The orthodontist can restructure and realign the jaw, lips and teeth to create a beautiful, even smile.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><font style=\"FONT-SIZE: 16px\"><strong>How does an orthodontist realign jaws and teeth?<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Initially, the orthodontist conducts a thorough examination of the jaw and teeth.&nbsp;&nbsp;Panoramic X-rays and study models (bite impressions) will be taken prior to the orthodontist making treatment recommendations. The orthodontist will recommend the best treatment plan for the patient\u2019s particular condition.<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">Here is a brief overview of some of the treatments orthodontists may use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Dental braces<\/strong> &ndash; The combination of brackets (which are affixed to each individual tooth), and an archwire (which connects each bracket) are commonly placed to gently train the teeth into proper alignment.&nbsp; Dental braces can be made of metal, ceramics or clear (\u201cinvisible\u201d) materials.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Headgear and facemasks<\/strong> &ndash; These devices are generally used to correct a developmental problem, such as an overbite or an underbite.&nbsp; In addition to the dental braces, the orthodontist will design the headgear and\/or facemask which fit around the head and attaches to the braces.&nbsp; This structure will further encourage the teeth and jawbone into alignment.<\/div>\n<p>\n        <\/li>\n<li>\n<div align=\"justify\"><strong>Retainers<\/strong> &ndash; After the orthodontist has realigned the teeth using dental braces, removable devices or a headgear, a retainer may then be provided to ensure that the teeth do not begin to move back toward their original positions.&nbsp; Retainers are generally worn until the underlying bone has reformed into the correct position.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><em>If you have any questions about orthodontists and the treatments they provide, please contact our office. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n        <input type=\"button\" onclick=\"document.location.href='\/procedures\/orthodontics\/'\" value=\"&lt;&lt;\" class=\"Button\" onmouseout=\"this.className='Button'\" onmouseover=\"this.className='ButtonHover'\" id=\"ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_btnBack\" name=\"ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$btnBack\"><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is an Orthodontist? In much the same way as doctors choose to specialize in areas such as cardiology and neurology, dentists can also choose to specialize. &nbsp;Orthodontics is a dental specialty which aims to prevent, diagnose and treat facial and dental irregularities, such as malocclusions (bad bites).&nbsp; Many orthodontic practices are limited to dentofacial&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":123,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"taxonomy_info":[],"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Wayne Clevenger","author_link":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/author\/cierradmin\/"},"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cornerstonedentalva.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}