Day 6- Orthodontics

As I mentioned last week Sims Family Dentistry is closed on Tuesdays. So today, I will not be going into the office and I decided to focus my research for the day on something that delves a little deeper into the world of dentistry: orthodontics.
Orthodontics requires the same knowledge of the mouth and skull that is required for dentistry, but to a deeper extent. An orthodontist must complete dental school and receive the same degree that a dentist would receive, but they must also complete three to five years more of specialized training regarding specifics of how teeth move and how teeth movement and the bite can be changed. This specialized training involves several exams throughout the time period to ensure that a student has a wide knowledge of the topics they are being tested on. Students pursuing orthodontic certification are also presented with several cases and are to discuss how they would treat these certain cases and a time frame for the treatment. All of this may not seem like much but the schooling is quite rigorous and only 6% of dental school students progress forward and become orthodontists.
This 11 years of college (4 undergrad, 4 in dental school, 3 in orthodontic study) comes with a somewhat hefty price, but pays off when a starting orthodontist receives their salary. Orthodontists who own their own practice can also decide their own hours and many of them, like dentists, are only open four days a week and they sometimes practice at several locations. The salary is dependent on the geographical location where the orthodontist works, much. Like any other job, but in my opinion the salary they receive is much worth the education required to get there.
A few short years ago, I finished my time in the orthodontist’s chair. I had two sets of braces, a retainer, three oral surgeries and it took around 6 years, but it was all worth it. Orthodontists have to work with people, mostly children, every day and interact socially with both them and their parents. Along with understanding what it is like to be a patient in the orthodontic experience, I also love interacting with people and I have a passion for children.
These past few days I have seen a few kids in the office who had braces. I have been able to witness their treatment from the dentistry side of it all and understand why they have difficulty in cleaning their teeth along with why they have frequent and slight bleeding in their gums. I have found that the way orthodontics effects the oral cavity and the bite of someone’s teeth is quite interesting and I think that it is important to have braces because from what I have seen in several patients is that it can prohibit certain problems from occurring in the future.
Orthodontics seem interesting, and I find it interesting how closely they relate with oral hygiene and the problems a dentist deals with on a daily basis. I am interested in hopefully seeing more kids in the office this week with braces, even though that is not my primary focus. After today it will be goodbye orthodontics, and hello again to dentistry!

 

A model of the oral cavity with braces. These are used to explain to children and their parents proper hygiene with braces.

Photo Citation: “Youtube.” Youtube, m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wp37UanAOs.

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