Why Choose An Orthodontist

Orthodontists are Smile Specialists

Orthodontists are highly trained specialists who partner with your dentist to provide you with the best oral health care. Dr. Gutierrez believes: “The specialty of Orthodontics is the combination of art, science and medicine that allows me not only to help people medically but also to provide them with a life lasting beautiful smile and increased self esteem.”

• Orthodontists are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists. By learning about tooth movement (orthodontics) and guidance of facial development (dentofacial orthopedics), orthodontists are the uniquely trained experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws.
• Orthodontists diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities. Orthodontists treat a wide variety of malocclusions (improperly aligned teeth and/or jaws). They regularly treat young children, teens and adults.
• Selecting an orthodontist who is a member of the AAO is your assurance that you have chosen an orthodontic specialist. Specialty education includes the study of subjects in biomedical, behavioral and basic sciences; oral biology; and biomechanics.

Myths and Facts

• MYTH:Orthodontists are appropriate only for the most challenging and complex orthodontic cases.
• FACT:Orthodontists recognize the difference between a simple case and a complex one. And when a case is challenging, orthodontists know what to do.

 

• MYTH:My family dentist says he can straighten my teeth.
• FACT:An orthodontist has 2-3 years of specialized training beyond dental school and is a specialist at straightening teeth and insuring proper form and function. A dentist may see a handful of cases a year amid drilling and filling. An orthodontist only practices orthodontics and treats hundreds of patients.

 

• MYTH:Braces are for kids.
• FACT:One in five orthodontic patients is an adult.

 

• MYTH:Orthodontists charge more than general dentists for orthodontic treatment.
• FACT:It’s not the same work. The value in seeing an orthodontist for treatment is that the orthodontist is an expert, highly experienced and understands form, function and a wonderful smile.

 

• MYTH:Braces are painful and take two years or more for the desired result.
• FACT:After the adjustment period, like breaking in a new pair of shoes, braces are comfortable. Some may be worn for months, not years.

 

• MYTH:Braces are ugly, call attention to themselves and would be embarrassing in business settings.
• FACT:Today’s braces may be nearly invisible, made from clear plastic, or unseen, mounted on the back (lingual) side of the teeth.

 

• MYTH:Any dentist may join the American Association of Orthodontists
• FACT:Only orthodontists may become members of the American Association of Orthodontists.