Orthodontist

Save for incorrigible Politicians, most things that are crooked — including roads, pictures and neckties — can easily be straightened. Crooked teeth are no exception. Especially when an Orthodontist is involved.

An Orthodontist is a Dentist who specializes in fixing crooked teeth and misaligned jaws, primarily using orthodontic retainers and braces. Specializing in short-term care for either children or adults, and sometimes both, Orthodontists treat patients both for cosmetic reasons — improving an individual’s smile often can improve his or her self-esteem, appearance and quality of life — and for health reasons. Misaligned teeth and jaws can make it difficult to chew or speak, and can sometimes cause problems such as snoring and sleep apnea.

In order to correct crooked teeth, as well as over bites, under bites, cross bites and open bites, you spend your days diagnosing patients and treating them. To diagnose, you consult with patients, review their patient histories and examine their mouths, both manually and photographically — the latter courtesy of X-rays. To treat, you develop and administer treatment plans, which typically include the installation and ongoing adjustment of braces, spacers, palate expanders or retainers, and in extreme cases might require you to break your patients’ jaws or wire them shut.

Although that last part sounds medieval, your goal isn’t hurting patients, it’s helping them. And make no mistake about it, that’s exactly what you do. Orthodontics isn’t always pretty — in fact, sometimes it’s downright painful — but the end result is always the same: A wider, and straighter, smile.