An Orthodontist--Advanced Education Beyond Dental School

A dentist who does braces, is not an orthodontist.

Just as there are specialists in medicine (such as cardiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, etc.), there are specialists in dentistry. Orthodontists are dental specialists who dedicate their professional lives to correcting misaligned teeth and jaws. While any dentist can use braces to improve tooth alignment, only an orthodontist has advanced education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth.

Orthodontists are qualified dentists, who after graduating from dental school, go on to additional full-time university-based education in an accredited orthodontic residency program supervised by orthodontists. That training lasts at least two academic years—sometimes more. By learning about tooth movement (orthodontics) and guidance of facial development (dentofacial orthopedics), orthodontists are the uniquely trained experts in dentistry to straighten teeth and align jaws.



Annually, there are only 200 orthodontic residency spots nationwide. This makes Orthodontics one of the most competitive and difficult specialities for dentists to get into. Rest assured, by bringing your child to an orthodontist for braces, you are taking them to one of the very best.

For your braces in the Akron Ohio (OH) area see an orthodontist!
Contact Dr. Barnett at 330-745-4497.

Serving, Akron, Barberton, Norton, Copley, Green, Manchester, Coventry, Canal Fulton, Clinton, Uniontown, Wadsworth, and more!

An Invisalign Testimonial

How are braces placed on the teeth?

How are braces placed on the teeth?

There are two methods of placing brackets on the teeth: direct and indirect bonding.

Teeth are first polished and then prepared with a number of different solutions. The placement of braces requires an extremely dry environment. Therefore, a mouth prop is placed to help keep the tongue and cheeks away from the teeth. A suction tube may also be placed to remove any excess saliva.

In the direct bonding technique, braces are placed one by one, and their positions adjusted in the mouth, prior to being secured to the tooth. This time-consuming process is often completed by dental auxiliaries rather than the orthodontist, as it is usually during busy clinic hours.

Indirect bonding (IB), is an efficient and quick alternative. An impression of the mouth is taken and a model poured. Brackets are then placed on the model and a tray is formed around the teeth and braces in the lab. The braces can be transferred via this tray to the top and bottom teeth all at once.

What are some of the advantages of IB?

• Higher degree of accurate bracket placement than with direct bonding (imagine trying to put a brace accurately on a back tooth inside the mouth compared to putting it on a model where you can move it any way you wish).
• Shorter treatment time and fewer appointments since the brackets are placed more accurately at the first appointment.
• More comfortable and less time spent in the chair for the bonding appointment.
• Often no need for bands, so there is no need for uncomfortable separators
• There is a custom base, allowing the bracket to fit more accurately to the conformation to your tooth.
• The orthodontist is the one who determines the location of each bracket prior to your visit.

At Barnett Orthodontics, we recognize the benefits of IB, even though it requires our team more preparation time, lab work, and requires finely trained technical skills. We pride ourselves on the fact that, whenever possible, our patients have braces placed with this technique. It is our goal to provide you with the most efficient, accurate, and comfortable experience possible, from the first day the braces are placed. Please contact our office via our website if you have any additional questions.