How should I pick my Orthodontist?

 Contemporary Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics

James R. Waters, DDS, MSD, PA

Board Certified Treatment for Children, Teens and Adults  

How should I pick my Orthodontist?

These days you may live an area where there are many choices for orthodontics.  Not only are there general dentists dabbling in braces and offering Aligner trays (usually the generic general dentist version called InvisAlign or Clear Choice), some children’s dentsits offer limited (or in some cases full braces) and of course there are the fully trained specialists, Orthodontists (which may or may not be Board certified).  There are numerous un-accredited and un-recognized organizations but there are only two recognized specialty organizations for true Orthodontists; they are the American Association of Orthodontists and the American Board of Orthodontics.

So who is the best?  Clearly, the highest trained and specialized is the Board Certified Orthodontist followed by the accredited but non-Board certified Orthodontist.  Both are accredited specialists and should be capable to handle everything from the mildest to the most severe of malocclusions.  The Board certified specialist has performed extra work in the years following graduation to present cases to a jury and further educate themselves in their field to become recognized as true experts.  Orthodontists are the first choice when seeking alignment of your family’s teeth.

Should I trust my general dentist or pediatric dentist to perform braces?  Keep in mind there is typically little to no orthodontic training in general dental school and very little in Pedodontic specialty programs (hence they are specialists for Childeren’s Dentistry and not orthodontics).  This is not to say non-specialists/non-orthodontists cannot efficiently and adequately perform minor space maintenance or simple alignment issues if they take enough weekend courses.  But comprehensive orthodontics involves a greater knowledge of growth, development, bone physiology and especially physics to successfully and safely reset the teeth to an ideal function that looks good and remains stable.  There are many weekend courses for general dentists to take a patient and learn how braces work but after a few months of these, one could hardly expect the same competence as a formally trained Orthodontist that works up to 80 hours/wk with advanced course study and treatment of over 100 patients (for a full 2 to 3 years after dental school) supervised by scores of board-certified and accredited Orthodontists, many of whom wrote the books on Modern Orthodontics.

So why does someone go through so much to become a specialist?  If dentists are out there providing braces for the same cost, why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more in training and 3 more years of advanced school/clinical training before treating a single patient?  Because a specialist is not comfortable treating your family without the very best and most inclusive accredited specialty education and experience.  Doesn’t your family deserve the best?       

If you have questions or comments concerning this or any orthodontic question, please feel free to make a complimentary new-patient appointment at either my Steiner Ranch location or my North-central Austin location on West 35^th street and MoPac.

Dr. James R. Waters is a 1996 graduate from UTHSC Dental School in San Antonio, 1997 graduate of Advanced Dentistry from the UNMC in Nebraska and the 2001 Valedictorian graduate from the prestigious Saint Louis University Orthodontic Program receiving the J.P. Marshall award for clinical excellence in 2001.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Doctorate in Dental Surgery, a post-doctorate certificate in Advanced Dentistry, post-doctorate Degree in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics and a Master of Science Degree in Orthodontics.  Dr. Waters and his wife of 19 years live in Austin, TX with their 4 children where he has a thriving, multi-faceted Specialist practice with locations in Steiner Ranch and North-Central Austin.  

You can learn more about Dr. Waters at www.BracesAustin.com. 

Central Austin

1814 W. 35^th Street

Austin, TX 78732

(512) 451-6457

Steiner Ranch 
4302 N. Quinlan Park Road

    Austin, TX 78732  

  (512) 266-8585  

Bracesaustin.com