A dentist is a doctor who specialises in teeth in general, covering check-ups, fillings and extractions. An orthodontist is a dentist who has gone on to specialise further in straightening teeth and correcting bite problems, often using braces. Every orthodontist is a dentist, but not every dentist is an orthodontist.
The core difference
A dentist covers general tooth care; an orthodontist is a dentist who specialises in straightening teeth and bites.
- dentist — a medical doctor who specialises in teeth: she booked a check-up with her dentist.
- orthodontist — a dentist who specialises in straightening teeth and correcting bite problems: the orthodontist recommended braces to fix her overbite.
How to tell them apart
Orthodontist is built from Greek roots meaning straight and tooth, which points directly to what the specialism covers: alignment rather than general dental health.
People often assume the two are unrelated professions, but an orthodontist trains as a dentist first and then studies further. A simple way to remember the order is that you usually see a dentist first, and it is the dentist who refers you on to an orthodontist if your teeth need straightening.
