Last updated: May 2026
Both a dentist and an orthodontist can technically offer braces. Only one of them spent two to three additional years training on how teeth move, how jaws develop, and how to plan a treatment that holds. That gap matters more than most patients realize until something goes wrong.
If your family dentist mentioned they offer braces or clear aligners, it’s worth understanding what their training actually includes, what an orthodontist’s training adds, and when the difference shows up in your results. The short version: every orthodontist is a dentist, but only about 6% of dentists become orthodontists.
What an Orthodontist Actually Is
An orthodontist is a dentist with additional residency training in tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. After dental school, an orthodontist completes a two-to-three-year accredited residency program focused entirely on orthodontics. The American Dental Association recognizes orthodontics as one of twelve formal dental specialties.
A general dentist handles cleanings, fillings, crowns, extractions, and routine oral health. An orthodontist limits their practice to moving teeth and aligning jaws. The American Association of Orthodontists puts the distinction simply: all orthodontists are dentists, but very few dentists are orthodontists.
The training gap is the entire reason the specialty exists.
How the Training Actually Differs
Here’s the part most patients never get a clear answer on, so it’s worth laying out side by side.
| Training Element | General Dentist | Orthodontist |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 4 years | 4 years |
| Dental school (DDS or DMD) | 4 years | 4 years |
| Orthodontics residency | Not required | 2 to 3 years (CODA-accredited) |
| Total years of post-secondary training | 8 | 10 to 11 |
| Hands-on orthodontic cases during training | Often 1 case (a single retainer is common) | Hundreds, under faculty supervision |
| Specialized hours of orthodontic instruction | Typically a semester-long overview | 4,000 to 6,000 supervised clinical hours |
| Scope of practice | Broad: prevention, restoration, surgery | Limited to orthodontics |
| Board certification path | American Board of General Dentistry (optional) | American Board of Orthodontics (optional, voluntary) |
Note: a few general dentists do invest in extended orthodontic continuing education beyond seminars. That’s better than no extra training, but it’s still not the same as a CODA-accredited residency.
Two to three years sounds like a small number on paper. In practice, it’s the difference between treating one orthodontic case during all of dental school and treating several hundred under direct faculty supervision before you ever open your own practice.
A dentist can technically do many things they aren’t specialists in. A general dentist may legally perform a root canal, but most refer to an endodontist for complex cases. A dentist may extract a tooth, but most refer surgical extractions to an oral surgeon. Braces fall into that same pattern: legally permitted, often referred out for anything beyond the simplest cases.
Can a General Dentist Do Braces?
Yes, in most states. State dental boards license dentists to perform a wide scope of services, and that scope often includes orthodontics. But “legally allowed” and “trained to do well” are not the same thing.
What a general dentist offering braces typically has:
- A weekend or multi-weekend continuing education course
- A relationship with a clear aligner brand that provides a treatment planning service
- Marketing materials that emphasize convenience (“get your braces where you already go”)
What a general dentist offering braces typically doesn’t have:
- Several years of supervised case experience across age groups and bite types
- Deep training in craniofacial growth and timing for Phase I treatment in kids
- Hands-on experience with complex bite correction, skeletal discrepancies, or extraction cases
For a mild case (slight crowding, small spaces, a tooth or two that drifted after old braces), some general dentists handle it. For anything involving bite correction, growth modification, or significant tooth movement, the case is usually outside the training a weekend course can provide.
When You Should Choose an Orthodontist
Honest opinion: for any case involving a child, bite correction, or a meaningful change to how your teeth come together, see an orthodontist. The cost difference is usually small. The outcome difference can be significant and permanent.
Specifically, see an orthodontist if:
Your child is 7 or younger. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic check-up by age 7. At that age, an orthodontist is looking at jaw development and eruption patterns, not just which teeth are crooked. That assessment requires training in craniofacial growth that general dentists rarely receive in depth.
You have a bite issue, not just crooked teeth. Overbite, underbite, crossbite, open bite, and overjet are bite problems. They involve how the upper and lower teeth meet, not just how individual teeth are positioned. Treating crookedness without correcting the bite often produces a smile that looks fine for a year and then drifts.
Your case may need extractions, expanders, or jaw surgery coordination. These are common in moderate-to-complex cases. A residency-trained orthodontist plans these workflows routinely. A general dentist usually doesn’t.
You want a clear answer on whether clear aligners or braces are right for you. This is where the financial pressure can quietly affect the recommendation. A practice that offers only one option will often recommend that option. An orthodontist who offers both has fewer reasons to push you toward the appliance that fits their inventory rather than your case.
The cases where a general dentist is a reasonable choice are narrow: a single tooth that drifted slightly after old braces, a small midline shift, or a cosmetic alignment with no bite involvement. For most of what people search “braces” for, the answer is to see a specialist.
Cost and Insurance Differences
The cost gap between an orthodontist and a general dentist offering orthodontics is usually smaller than patients expect. Many general dentists charge similar fees for braces or clear aligners, since the lab work, materials, and chair time are comparable. The real cost difference shows up later, in revisions or relapses.
A few patterns worth knowing:
- Most dental insurance plans treat orthodontic benefits the same regardless of whether the provider is a general dentist or an orthodontist. The benefit is usually $1,500 to $2,500 lifetime.
- Some plans require the treating provider to be a recognized specialist for full benefits. Check this before you start.
- HSA and FSA funds cover orthodontic treatment regardless of provider type.
- A “cheaper” treatment that needs to be redone is almost always more expensive than the right treatment the first time.
If you’re comparing quotes between a general dentist and an orthodontist and the price difference is under 15%, the training difference is the variable that matters. If the gap is larger, ask both providers what’s included (records, retainers, refinements, post-treatment adjustments) before deciding.
For more on what families in Cary typically pay, see our guide to braces cost.
How to Verify Your Provider’s Training
Three quick checks before you commit to any provider for braces or aligners:
- Ask directly: “Are you a specialist in orthodontics?” A specialist will say yes and tell you where they did their residency. A non-specialist will often pivot to talking about how many cases they’ve done or what continuing education they’ve taken. Both answers tell you something useful.
- Look for membership in the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). Only specialists with completed orthodontic residencies can be AAO members. The AAO has a public “Find an Orthodontist” tool at aaoinfo.org.
- Check for board certification. Board certification through the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) is voluntary, even for residency-trained orthodontists. It’s a signal of additional commitment but not a requirement to practice well.
At Tooth By Tooth, Dr. Nishant Patel earned his DDS at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he graduated top of his class, and completed his MS and orthodontic certificate at the University of Minnesota. His residency research was published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, the field’s leading peer-reviewed journal. He’s been practicing orthodontics for over 12 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my regular dentist put braces on?
In most states, yes. A general dentist is licensed to provide orthodontic treatment, but they don’t have the same residency training as an orthodontist. For mild cases, this may be fine. For anything involving children, bite correction, or complex movement, see an orthodontist.
What does an orthodontist do that a dentist doesn’t?
Orthodontists complete 2 to 3 years of full-time residency after dental school, focused entirely on tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. They treat hundreds of cases under faculty supervision during that residency, covering everything from simple alignment to complex skeletal issues that require coordination with oral surgery. General dentists may take continuing education courses in orthodontics, but those courses are measured in days or weekends, not years. The difference is most visible in cases involving children’s growth, bite problems, or anything that needs to coordinate with extractions or jaw surgery.
Do braces cost less at a dentist than an orthodontist?
Not usually. Most general dentists offering braces charge similar fees to specialists because the lab work and materials are the same. Some are slightly cheaper, but the difference is rarely large enough to offset the training gap. If a quote from a general dentist is significantly lower, ask what’s included and what isn’t (records, retainers, refinements, follow-up visits).
Is an orthodontist a doctor?
Yes. Every orthodontist holds either a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry) degree, plus an additional certificate or master’s degree in orthodontics. The titles DDS and DMD are clinically equivalent.
Why should I see an orthodontist for my child’s first ortho visit?
The AAO recommends every child have an orthodontic check-up by age 7. At that age, an orthodontist is evaluating jaw growth, eruption patterns, and habits like thumb-sucking that affect bite development. That’s training a general dentist usually doesn’t have in depth. Even if your child doesn’t need treatment yet, the assessment itself benefits from a specialist’s eye. Read more about why age 7 matters for that first visit.
How can I tell if a provider is actually an orthodontist?
Three signals: they identify as a specialist when asked directly, they’re a member of the American Association of Orthodontists (verifiable on aaoinfo.org), and their training history includes a 2-to-3-year CODA-accredited orthodontic residency after dental school. If any of these are unclear, ask.
Bottom Line
Both a dentist and an orthodontist can offer braces. Only an orthodontist has spent two to three additional years training to do it. For mild cases involving only adult teeth, that gap may not matter much. For children, bite correction, or anything beyond simple alignment, it’s the variable that decides whether your treatment holds.
If you’re in Cary or the surrounding Wake County communities and you want a straight answer about whether your case needs a specialist, Dr. Patel will tell you. Have questions about your child’s bite? Dr. Patel is happy to take a look, no commitment, no runaround. Book a free consultation.
About the Author
Dr. Nishant Patel, DDS, MS, Orthodontist and Founder, Tooth By Tooth Orthodontics. Dr. Patel earned his DDS from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he graduated at the top of his class, and his MS with orthodontic certificate from the University of Minnesota. His research has been published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. He has practiced orthodontics for over 12 years and is the sole orthodontist at Tooth By Tooth in Cary, NC.
