Choosing a Good Orthodontist
There are many orthodontists out there, but not all are created equal, and not all have the same training or experience as others. Just like dentists, only some are award-winning orthodontists (for good reason), while others are not. A good orthodontist needs to have specific training and credentials to work on your or your child. Their office needs to have specific equipment to perform the necessary work, and a good orthodontist will provide a wide range of services for their patients. Find out what a good orthodontist looks like and how to choose a good one from one you want to avoid!
Choosing to Receive Braces
If you have made the choice to get braces, we commend you! Braces is an amazing way to change your life for the better. Studies show that straightening your smile is directly related to increased confidence. The better a person’s smile looks, the more they smile and the more confident they appear to others as well. Studies by Invisalign and countless others have found that a straighter, more beautiful smile makes you appear happier, healthier, wealthier, and more attractive to others. 73% of people are also more likely to find you trustworthy.
Now that you have chosen to embark on this new journey of getting braces, you have to decide who you should get your orthodontic care from. All too often, dental practices have started offering orthodontics via transparent aligner systems or Invisalign. Even though we offer Invisalign at our center (and it is effective), the majority of dentists are not trained to perform orthodontics. It’s similar to a spa offering botox injections instead of a medical doctor that provides botox injections. They may have some training in oral health and dentistry, but dentistry is not the same as orthodontics.
You always want to choose a trained orthodontist to provide you orthodontic work, and not just a dentist (or even someone without a degree) to perform any work on your mouth. If you do, you take a serious health risk that your teeth will be messed up permanently or that you will have oral health complications. Always go to a certified and trained orthodontist for your orthodontic work.
Training to Become a Good Orthodontist
Becoming a good orthodontist takes many hard years. A good orthodontist will receive an undergraduate degree and then will go on to be accepted into dental school. A good orthodontist will receive high marks in their dental school, and will have to be accepted into an orthodontic school afterwards. Some even go beyond their 10 years of base training to do fellowships and additional study. It takes an entire decade to learn how to straighten the teeth properly, even if orthodontic care may seem simple and straightforward.
Orthodontists deal with the health of a person’s mouth, which can affect their overall health, their confidence, and even if they are at risk for tooth decay, gum disease and more. Working with children in orthodontics can be even trickier, as many children require specific work to make space in the jaws for incoming teeth.
What Is Their Experience with Children?
The majority of good orthodontists work with children on a regular basis. However, there are some that have better training than others. You always want to look for a good orthodontist that has training to work with a child on their intellectual level. Children sometimes fear dental or orthodontic office or having work done on their mouth. We strive to provide a child-friendly atmosphere to our young patients to make them comfortable during their treatment.
A good orthodontist is one that can help your child feel at ease and confident about the smile they are getting. When choosing an orthodontist, observe how they act with your child. If they are warm and inviting, this can help children have a positive orthodontic experience for early orthodontic treatment and when they receive braces for straightening later on.
What Qualities Do We Have?
If you want a good orthodontist, give Belmar Orthodontics a try! Dr. Hardy is an award-winning orthodontist that treats patients at two different locations. He has extensive training in dentistry and orthodontics and actually runs a pediatric dentistry and orthodontics office alongside his wife. He treats pediatric patients and older at Hardy Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics and he treats patients of all ages at Belmar Orthodontics. Dr. Hardy offers every option available in orthodontics to his patients. That includes traditional metal braces, lingual braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign and Invisalign Teen, as well as retainer devices, TADs, and surgical orthodontics. All of these services required countless hours of training, testing and performance to become certified.
As we mentioned, you want an orthodontist who has won awards and who others are talking about. Dr. Hardy is board-certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. He is also an active member of the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontics. He received the Everett Shapiro Award in Orthodontics as well as the Dr. Harold Berk Endowed prize Fund for Excellence in Research. He is also a member of many dental organizations that you can find here. He is extensively trained to work not only with teens and adults, but also children—even very young ones. Dr. Hardy also works alongside his wife often, who also has extensive training and psychology experience with young children.
We can talk about Dr. Hardy’s qualifications all day long, but the best way to know what a good orthodontist looks like is to come into the office and see for yourself. To schedule your free consultation or to learn more, call Belmar Orthodontics Orthodontist in Lakewood Colorado today at (303) 225-9016!
How to Choose a Good Orthodontist
The American Dental Association recommends that your child have their first orthodontic visit between ages 7 and 8 to correct bite and alignment issues. Teenagers, as well, need to visit the orthodontist to correct the alignment of their permanent teeth. How do you know what orthodontist to go to? Choosing an orthodontist is a big decision, as it will determine the health of your teeth and the quality of care you receive. Orthodontists are different than regular dentists and must go through several years more of quality training. You want to look for an orthodontist that has this training. Finding one that can work with children as well as adults is also important. Learn about orthodontists, what constitutes a good one, and what factors you must consider when choosing one!
Choosing a Good Orthodontist
When you choose an orthodontist, you are choosing a person that has had extensive training and years of schooling to take care of your teeth. An orthodontist must complete 4 years of undergraduate training and then be accepted to a 4-year dental school. They then continue a 2-3 year doctorate training to work with patients to correct bite and alignment. Essentially orthodontists are specially-trained dentists that specialize in bite and alignment issues and straightening the teeth. These are services that can last a patient a lifetime. You want to only choose a speciallytrained orthodontist to work on your teeth. Never attempt to straighten your teeth on your own.
A good orthodontist must become certified by the American Board of Orthodontics. They do this through written and clinical exams and then they must recertify often to ensure that their orthodontic training is still at the highest level it needs to be. Another aspect about choosing a good orthodontist is choosing someone that truly cares about your needs and wants you to be as successful as possible. At Belmar Orthodontics, our success is dependent on your success. We try to keep our office up-to-date with the latest state-of-the-art treatment and services to transform your smile into something beautiful in the least amount of time.
Your Braces Options
A good orthodontist will be skilled in several methods of straightening your teeth. We are skilled to provide you more than just traditional metal braces. We also offer the following options for orthodontic care so you can truly choose how your want your straightening treatment to be:
- Incognito Lingual Braces – These are metal braces that are attached to the inside of each tooth. They straighten much light traditional metal brackets, but their hidden apparatus makes them especially appealing for adults and professionals.
- Invisalign – This is a series of transparent aligners that are custom-made for each patient and are changed every 1-2 weeks. This allows a patient to straighten their teeth virtually invisibly. Plus, the aligners are removable for cleaning, eating, sports and similar activities.
- Clear Ceramic Braces – These are braces that mimic metal braces but are made of ceramic material. Even the archwire can be made white like the brackets, helping both to blend into the teeth. Ceramic helps decrease demineralization.
- Retainers – The best way to keep your smile straight is to wear a custom-made retainer after treatment. We can customize retainer trays that you wear each night to keep those pearly whites straight. We can also provide you permanent retainer devices that are attached to the back of your front teeth.
Orthodontic Care for Children
Not all orthodontists work with children or know how to. However, child orthodontics is very important for the health of many children. Children should see an orthodontist between 7 and 8 years old. This is a critical time to correct bite and alignment issues that become severe later on in life. These problems cause speech impediments, problems eating, speaking, chewing and more. A good orthodontist will be one that works well with children and keeps the office environment inviting for them.
Do You Need a Dentist?
An orthodontist does many services to help the health of your teeth, however, they don’t do everything. They are trained just as a dentist is and they know the signs of tooth decay, gum disease and other oral health problems. However, their job is to do orthodontic care, not dental care. That is why they specialized in the field that they did. A good orthodontist will frequently see the signs of tooth decay or gum problems, and a good orthodontist will refer you to a trusted dentist to fix those problems. If you have a cavity or a dental emergency, a dentist is usually the person you want to see instead of an orthodontist.
A dentist received 4 years of training in an undergraduate program. Then, he or she went on to do 4 years of dental school. There they learned services such as the following:
- Comprehensive Exams
- Dental Cleanings
- Sedation Dentistry
- Laser Cavity Detection
- Proper Oral Hygiene
- Oral Cancer Screenings
- Digital X-rays
- Dental Sealants
- Periodontal Treatment
- Scaling & Root Planing
- Sleep Apnea Therapy
- Teeth Whitening
- Root Canal Therapy
- Tooth-Colored Fillings
- Same-Day Crowns/Dental Crowns
The majority of dentists also offer cosmetic dentistry options such as dental implants, cosmetic bonding, dental bridges, porcelain crowns and porcelain veneers. If you want to transform your smile beyond straightening your teeth and correcting bite and alignment, then you want to see a dentist instead of an orthodontist.
Schedule Your Consultation
In Lakewood Belmar Orthodontics orthodontist is a great step in the right direction, as it means you are conscious about your oral health. Orthodontic treatment is a wonderful way to correct a smile and to make it into something beautiful you can keep for life. Studies show that a straighter, more beautiful smile can make you more confident, and others will see you as such as well as more attractive, successful and trustworthy. Who wouldn’t want those things? If you would like to learn more about orthodontic treatment and schedule your free consultation, call Belmar Orthodontics today at (303) 225-9016!
