I often get the question, “Who is the best person to help me fix my teeth? Or, what type of doctor or dentist is the right choice for my Invisalign/braces?”  The answer is very simple.  When you have something specific that you need for your dental health such as aligning your teeth or fixing your bite you should always go to an orthodontist.  An orthodontist is a dental specialist who has gone through years of additional training after dental school in order to become an orthodontist.  You must note the distinction that all orthodontists are dentists but general or family dentists are NOT orthodontists.  This is made even more confusing as the AAO (American Association of Orthodontist) has allowed general dentists to advertise that they perform orthodontics!  This is immoral but not illegal which is terrible for the average consumer who has no idea that the dentist they are receiving their consultation and diagnosis from may not be qualified to treat them or their child for braces or Invisalign.

Who is best for the job?

Now, the initial question was “Who is the BEST doctor/dentist to see for braces or Invisalign treatment?”  If you are looking for the best of the best (and I 100% feel that you should consider the importance of your smile or your child’s smile!) then you should look for a board-certified orthodontic specialist.  The only way to know that the dentist that you are going to use is a board-certified orthodontist is to visit the website of the American Board of Orthodontics and check out their Board Certified Orthodontist Locator. This tool allows you to look up the orthodontist you intend to use by Name, City, Zip Code, etc. This is to ensure that you are actually going to use the service of a highly trained and board-certified dentist for your orthodontic treatment.

Today, there are so many dentists advertising that they perform orthodontic treatments and it is very confusing for the consumer.  It’s also costly to the consumer when they find that they have to eventually go to a board-certified orthodontist to repair what was done by their dentist. Orthodontics is a specialty in dentistry and it is supposed to be performed by an orthodontist and not any other type of dentist.  It would be similar to going to your family doctor for your checkup and he or she tells you that you have an issue with your heart or skin but instead of referring you to a cardiologist or dermatologist they just go ahead and do everything themselves!  If you would not let your family doctor treat what your cardiologist should; then you should not let your family dentist treat what your orthodontist should.