The Evolving Role Of Orthodontists

Before we can get into a deep discussion into the evolving role of orthodontist

, it might be a good idea to give ourselves a little background as to whom, exactly, they are. This would be for the benefit of those of us encountering them for the very first time. And as it turns out, orthodontists are dental specialists who deal with teeth alignment issues. At this point, it worth noting that teeth (like all parts of the body), don't 'stand' in isolation - but rather, are attached to other parts of the body - specifically the jaws and the bones known as the maxilla. Now the way the teeth protrude from these other supportive parts goes a long way in determining how well aligned they are.

Truth be told, there are very few people who have what can be termed to be perfect alignment of teeth; if in fact we can agree on what would be considered 'perfect.' This is normal; just as very few of us can claim perfect postures or perfect complexions. As long as the imperfections are within what is considered the normal range, they don't tend to bother us. But should they be beyond that range (or should we convince ourselves that they are, even if they aren't), then we would start experiencing distress, and look for ways to correct them. This, then, is where orthodontists come in the picture: as the professions one needs to see, if they feel that their teeth are too badly misaligned and therefore in need of correction.

Again, before proceeding any further, it would be worth reminding ourselves that in some cases, the imperfection in teeth alignment can be so great as to cause practical difficulties in the lives of the afflicted persons (that is, beyond the aesthetic concerns). This is like where the misalignment of teeth is huge enough to cause difficulties in chewing food, or huge enough to cause difficulties in speech. Now traditionally speaking, it was usually at this point that orthodontists would be called in: to correct severe teeth alignment problems that were, practically, interfering with the lives of the people in whom they were present. The typical orthodontist (they were quite few those days) would spent his or her days shuttling between hospitals, treating people in whom such notable misalignment problems were noted, typically children. That is what occupied most of the orthodontists' time.

Even today, of course, orthodontists still concern themselves with the correction of teeth alignment issues that affect things like speech and chewing, on the part of the people in whom they are present.

But that role, of correcting major teeth alignment issues that cause chewing and speech difficulties, is by no means the role that occupies most of the orthodontists' role today. Rather, a more involving role is evolving for the orthodontist, namely, the role of evening out relatively minor teeth alignment problems (for which he would probably not have been called before), in a bid to give people perfect smiles. In this way, the orthodontist is gradually evolving into a cosmetic dentist. Today's orthodontists end up committing more of his time to this cosmetic role than to the 'more practical' role of correcting major teeth misalignment issues that was previously their forte. This change is attributable, at least in part, to the growing trend where the world is becoming more and more image conscious, with even the 'smallest' of issues (like teeth alignment) being of major concern to many people. So at the end of the day, in addition to still being something of an 'emergency dentist' the orthodontist increasingly finds himself also being called to serve as a cosmetic dentist.

by: James Maloney

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