{"id":51196,"date":"2021-07-21T02:55:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T00:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/orthodontist-or-dentist-whats-the-difference\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T23:34:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T22:34:45","slug":"orthodontist-or-dentist-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/orthodontist-or-dentist-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Orthodontist or Dentist: What&#8217;s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dentists and orthodontists are both doctors specializing in oral care. Dentists study general dentistry. They are trained to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the teeth, gums, and supporting bones.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"link\">Orthodontists follow the same initial curriculum but pursue an additional 3 years of training (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcl.ac.uk\/dentistry\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Master&#8217;s degree<\/a>) after graduating from dental school. This training is comparable to specialization in medicine. It involves acquiring all the necessary knowledge to correct tooth positioning and guide jaw development. All orthodontists are therefore dentists with additional specialized training in this field.   <\/p>\n\n<p>I invite you to discover the main differences between an orthodontist and a dentist so that you can decide which type of doctor you should consult.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"909\" src=\"https:\/\/dgva.bmajor.digital\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva-1024x909.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44828\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva-1024x909.png 1024w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva-300x266.png 300w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva-150x133.png 150w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva-768x682.png 768w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Orthodontiste-Geneve-versus-Dentiste-Dental-Geneva.png 1348w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Illustration of the dentist\/orthodontist relationship in Geneva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:70px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns link has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-ba9641397b6082206a1327b4fc41e8d0 is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"color:#c4707c;background-color:#c4707d12\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a class=\"sommaire-links\" href=\"#que-fait-un-dentiste\" data-type=\"internal\">What Does a Dentist Do?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a class=\"sommaire-links\" href=\"#que-fait-un-orthodontiste\">What Does an Orthodontist Do?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#traitement-sur-mesure\" data-type=\"internal\">A Customized Treatment!<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"que-fait-un-dentiste\" style=\"font-size:28px\">What Does a Dentist Do?<\/h2>\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"link\">The dentist treats patients&#8217; general <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/the-10-golden-rules-of-oral-hygiene\/\">oral health<\/a>. At our Geneva practice, dentists perform regular examinations and can detect and treat cavities, gum disease, and oral hygiene problems. They sometimes need to perform tooth extractions if the tooth cannot be saved.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"link\">Our dentists also improve the function and appearance of teeth by placing fillings, <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/dental-implants-and-prostheses\/\">veneers, or crowns<\/a> on broken, chipped, misshapen, or severely decayed teeth. They can also restore missing teeth with bridges, removable dentures, and even osseointegrated implants. Ultimately, a dentist will check the health of the teeth, gums, and interior of the oral cavity and recommend a specialist if necessary.  <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"que-fait-un-orthodontiste\" style=\"font-size:28px\">What Does an Orthodontist Do?<\/h2>\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<p>An orthodontist specializes in correcting tooth alignment and occlusion through the placement of corrective appliances and devices.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"link\">In Geneva, our orthodontist has extensive experience in applying methods and techniques to correct dental defects such as crossbites, <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/case-study-invisalign-before-and-after\/\">misaligned teeth<\/a>, diastemas (spaces between teeth), etc. She takes extra- and intra-oral photographs as well as a clinical examination to assess the malocclusion, then explains to the patient in simple terms the problems present in the teeth, bones, and\/or face, the need for any prior dental or periodontal treatment, the different <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/invisible-orthodontics\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"87\">orthodontic alternatives<\/a>, as well as the duration and fixed price of the treatment. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"link\">She will recommend the optimal treatment for each particular case among the types of orthodontics available on the market: traditional orthodontic appliances (such as <a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/fixed-and-interceptive-orthodontics\/#bagues_auto_ligaturantes\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/orthodontie-fixe-et-interceptive\/#bagues_auto_ligaturantes\">braces<\/a>) or invisible orthodontics (<a href=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/smileview-your-invisalign-before-after\/\">Invisalign clear aligners<\/a>). The choice is made based on the condition to be treated and the patient&#8217;s age. In addition to being able to correct all these problems, orthodontics will provide a healthy, beautiful, and aligned smile.  <\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"538\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dgva.bmajor.digital\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Quel-orthodontiste-ou-dentiste-Geneve-538x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Quel-orthodontiste-ou-dentiste-Geneve-538x1024.png 538w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Quel-orthodontiste-ou-dentiste-Geneve-158x300.png 158w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Quel-orthodontiste-ou-dentiste-Geneve-79x150.png 79w, https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Quel-orthodontiste-ou-dentiste-Geneve.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"traitement-sur-mesure\">A Customized Treatment<\/h2>\n\n<p>These two dental care professionals are essential for your oral health. At Dental Geneva, dentists and orthodontists work closely together to establish an effective treatment plan and help you achieve the healthiest smile possible. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I invite you to discover the main differences between an orthodontist and a dentist so that you can decide which type of doctor you should consult.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43825,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-orthodontics-geneva"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51196"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51197,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51196\/revisions\/51197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentalgeneva.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}