The American Association of Orthodontists outlines seven reasons why you may decide to seek orthodontic care and why an accredited orthodontist is the best professional to provide that care.
To Have the Best and Healthiest Smile You Can Have
Get it by relying on an orthodontist’s expertise. This comes from their extensive education. After graduation from dental school, orthodontists go on for another two to three years of education solely in orthodontics at an accredited orthodontic residency program. Only after this formal education can one be called an orthodontist. Only orthodontists are accepted for membership in the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Selecting a member of the AAO for orthodontic care is the your assurance that you are selecting an orthodontist. Don’t rely on an individual whose only expertise comes from an online/weekend course.
To Both Feel Good and Look Good
When receiving care from an orthodontist, you can rely on an expert who has been educated to understand how your teeth, jaws, and facial muscles all work together. A healthy mouth contributes to your overall good health, while the presence of detrimental bacteria in the mouth has been linked to heart disease and other systemic issues. In addition to health benefits, you also receive the benefit of an improved esthetic result.
To Get the Specialized Treatment You Deserve
You trust your heart to a cardiologist, your skin to a dermatologist, your knees to an orthopedist. Like these specialists who study their specialty areas after their general medical education, orthodontists devote additional years of study to orthodontics after they graduate from dental school. And like their medical counterparts, orthodontists limit their practices to their specialty area. Any individual offering orthodontic care in addition to your other dental needs, is therefore, not an orthodontist.
To Get Your Bite Right
Your bite is a complex biologic system. Its components include up to 32 teeth, their supporting gums, the upper and lower jaws, and the facial muscles. Your healthy bite is the orthodontist’s goal. The goal is met by making sure the separate elements are positioned for optimal performance. This allows you to enjoy the ability to bite, chew, and speak well.
To Solve the Problem
You may see six crooked front teeth. The orthodontist sees the cause of the crooked teeth in three dimensions, as well as other factors that you don’t see. Orthodontists use their education, experience, and expertise to delve deep to discover the root of your orthodontic problem. Armed with a diagnosis that takes all factors into account, orthodontists can plan your solution- one that delivers a healthy, attractive smile and a lasting result. This leads to a treatment plan that takes into account many more factors than those six crooked front teeth and results in a solution that will last a lifetime.
To Recommend the Right Treatment for You
There are a lot of treatment options these days, from clear aligners to modern braces. They each have their uses, but only an orthodontist has the specialized knowledge needed to identify and plan for all the variables in your mouth. An orthodontist takes the unique needs of your bite into account and combines them with the wishes that you have regarding your treatment outcome, when recommending the right treatment option for you.
To Address the Big Picture
Sure, you want a dazzling smile. Your orthodontist wants that for you, too- and treatment results that last. You deserve the best- a good bite and a healthy, beautiful smile. An AAO-member orthodontist can give you the results you want for your life, your health, your happiness, and your smile.