Can a DDS provide orthodontic services?

Answer 1

I think you need to go to an actual orthodontist. Yes they're dentists, but they have specialized. It's like going to a medical doctor who has specialized. If you have a broken leg, you go to an orthopaedist, if you have a heart problem, you go to a cardiologist. They're both doctors, but with different specialties.

Answer 2

I agree with Nebula D, I've been told by a lot of doctors to "do whatever you feel comfortable with." So it just depends on the training and additional courses that your dentist has received. There are many orthodontic services that a DDS can provide, like retainers, lingual traps, and palate expanders. At my school we took 2 semesters of orthodontic theory and 1 semester of lab, the doctor, ortho specialist of over 25 years, said any DDS can do these. Braces is a lot more complicated though, so if you want braces, do your research first.

Answer 3

DDS is just one of the two common degrees given in the USA. DDS and DMD are interchangeable and it just depends on what the school the dentist attended awards upon graduation. It translates into "Doctor of Dental Surgery," but this in no way indicates that a DDS would be on oral surgeon or better at surgery than a DMD, simply based on the degree.

An orthodontist who graduated from an American dental college would have either the DDS or DMD degree and then 2 or 3 years of additional study for the orthodontic specialty certification, depending on the school.

Answer 4

The credential "D.D.S." (i.e. "Doctor of Dental Surgery") is the degree that most dental professionals have. Some schools award the "D.M.D" degree (i.e. "Doctor of Dental Medicine"). There is absolutely no difference between the two degrees in terms of education and privileges.

Some D.D.S.'s and D.M.D.'s go on to specialize in various fields. There are 9 specialties within the dental profession.

They are:

Oral and maxillofacial pathology
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial radiology
Endodontics - root canals, but a bullsh*t specialty.
Orthodontics - braces
Periodontics - gum surgeries
Pediatric Dentistry - kids
Prosthodontics - a bullsh*t specialty.
Dental Public Health - although I have no f-ing clue what they do.

Most dental professionals are general dentists. General dentists are, by federal law, permitted to perform ANY procedure that any of the above specialists perform--even corrective jaw surgeries which are, in practice, perfomed exclusively by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Of course, state dental boards would probably revoke the license of any general dentist who performed such a procedure without the proper training (although, there's no general dentist out there trained to do these procedures, so it's a moot point).

As a general dentist, I do my own root canals, some gum surgeries, my own wisdom teeth extractions etc. There are other general dentists who do orthodontic work.

So yes, any D.D.S. is authorized to do orthodontic work. The question is, does he/she have the training and experience?

Answer 5

Only if he specialized in that after dental school. I have a dentist who does both regular check ups and is also an orthodontist. So not every one of them can.

Answer 6

some do but usually a orthodontist is needed. I'm sure your dentist could refer you.

Answer 7

Yep.

Answer 8

yeah