Click here for an article posted on globalnews.com-see Dr. Salins's Blog below:We get questions a lot from patients about the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist. Well, to put it simply, most dentists are not orthodontists but allorthodontists are dentists. There are almost 200,000 dental graduates practicing some form of dentistry in the United States and only about 10,000 of them are orthodontists. While dentists can do orthodontic work, they cannot call themselves "orthodontists" as they have not completed a 2-3 year residency beyond dental school. This specialized training teaches an orthodontist the art and science of tooth movement beyond what they learn in a basic 4-year dental school.
While some dentists may perform adequate orthodontic work, there is no doubt that in the medical/dental world, specialized training is highly valued. Dr. Sheldon Salins attended the Harvard School of Dental Medicine for his dental school education and completed his residency at University of California (UCLA) School of Dentistry, Section of Orthodontics. He trained under world renowned orthodontists as he developed skills before returning to the Bay Area (San Francisco and Union City/Fremont/Hayward) area to a limited practice of Orthodontics. We treat both adults and children and are proud of our work and exceptional customer service.
Unfortunately, the linked article shows an extreme example of someone who did not understand the person doing her braces was not an orthodontist and had a bad experience. Make sure you do your research on the person potentially doing your orthodontic treatment.
