An Orthodontist uses dental devices like retainers, braces, rubber bands, and helmets attached to the braces to acquire a good jaw and teeth alignment. It is due to improper alignment of teeth that children are unable to chew food properly. Orthodontists are required to check into the cause of improper teeth and gum alignment that is caused by inconsistent dietary patterns. Orthodontists look into the causes of tooth decay resulted by a sweet meat diet. The corrective jobs of orthodontists incorporate treatment of early loss of milk teeth due to accidents or tooth decay that results in improper alignment. Prolonged thumb sucking also causes deformed teeth. Orthodontists look into the remedies for tooth problems that are genetically acquired. These disorders are collectively known as malocclusions. As it is difficult to clean crooked teeth which may lead to cavities and tooth decay, soothe orthodontist looks into rectifying this problem.
Application of braces is not covered by insurance. Hence, the treatment costs may be quite expensive, so it is the duty of the Orthodontist to make the patient aware of the costs prior to the treatment, rather than billing them high amounts later on.
Orthodontics is a part of specialized medicine. After completing four years at dental school, the student has to complete residency, or take up an advanced graduate training program for being eligible for specialization. Orthodontics is a two to three year post graduate program, which the dentist has to undertake before becoming a specialist in the field.
Earlier there were no specialized courses available for this branch of dentistry; dentists learned this trade on the job. But now that specialized courses and training programs have come up, one can take up this specialized course, and as resources are globally available. An associate degree, with a one or two year training program is the ideal way to launch your career. The course study involves subjects like biology and anatomy terminology, and basics like Orthodontics techniques, medical skills and etiquette, medical billing, dealing with medical insurance, and record keeping, among others. Orthodontists work in specialized clinics with other orthodontists, or they may also open independent clinics.
The advantage of having freshly trained orthodontists is that technologically sound compared to untrained or senior counterparts. With the growing implementation of technology in the equipments, orthodontists can now diagnose better and treatment can be less painful.
Students who are considering Orthodontics as a career should be comfortable with the idea of working manually with their hands. You set out as an apprentice, and apprenticeship comes with the willingness to accept responsibilities and hardships.
The patients coming to see an orthodontist are mostly kids and adolescents in the age group of 9-15 years. Hence, it is essential that the orthodontist is tolerant and friendly. Kids and teenagers are more prone to develop complexes about the way they look. This is why one of the primary skill sets of the Orthodontist should be to make them comfortable with the idea of wearing braces and retainers. They must have a neat and friendly appearance and should also maintain a high degree of personal hygiene as they need to work in close proximity with the patient for treatment.
According to sources, an orthodontist on an average can make $15 in an hour and the median salary per year is somewhere around $1, 25,000. They are subjected to additional perks like heath care and retirement benefits especially in a private clinic. The US department of labor has also regarded this as an upcoming field. The freshly trained orthodontists are technologically sound compared to their senior counterparts. With the rise of technology and technological equipments they can diagnose the problem better and treatment can be less pain full. Application of braces is not covered by insurance as it is not considered vital for healthcare. Hence, the treatment cost turns out to be quite expensive, so it is the duty of the Orthodontist to make the patient aware of the treatment cost prior to the treatment, rather than billing them high amounts later.
The average annual income of an Orthodontist is around $1,50,000 to $2,00,000, but a reputed and experienced dentist can make up to $4,00,000 depending upon his practice. They are even subjected to additional perks like heath care and retirement benefits especially in a private clinic. The US department of labor regards orthodontics as an upcoming field.
As physical appearance is very important in today's society, these doctors enhance our face value and confidence in the true sense of the term. The pay is also good, and professional satisfaction is also guaranteed, as one can see positive changes in appearance as well as in the patients' personality as confidence gears up. All these reasons are encouraging students all over the world to consider orthodontics as a potential career that poses limitless possibilities.
