If you’ve started looking into straightening your teeth, you’ve probably noticed that both dentists and orthodontists offer to help. That can be confusing — aren’t they the same thing? Not quite.
Both are dental professionals, but they’re trained differently and qualified to do different things. Knowing the distinction can save you time, and in some cases, help you avoid starting treatment with the wrong person for your situation. Here’s a straightforward look at what each one actually does.
What Each Role Actually Does
What a general dentist covers
A general dentist looks after the broad, everyday side of oral health — check-ups, cleans, fillings, extractions, and general advice on keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Many general dentists also offer basic orthodontic services, including some clear aligner systems, particularly for straightforward cases.
Dentists complete a dental degree and are registered to practise general dentistry across Australia. It’s a wide-ranging role, and most of us see a dentist far more often than any other health professional.
What an orthodontist is trained to do
An orthodontist is a dentist who has gone on to complete additional, specialised postgraduate training—typically a further two to three years—focused entirely on the movement of teeth and the development of the jaw and bite. This extra training is what allows orthodontists to take on more complex cases involving misalignment, crowding, spacing, and bite correction.
In Australia, orthodontists are registered as dental specialists with the Dental Board of Australia, a distinct category that sits separately from general dental registration. Only practitioners who have completed the additional specialist training can call themselves an orthodontist.
It’s worth noting that not every case needs a specialist. But for anything beyond mild, straightforward movement, the extra years of training behind an orthodontist’s assessment tends to matter.
Who to See, and When
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
| Situation | Who to see |
|---|---|
| Routine check-ups, cleans, fillings | General dentist |
| Mild crowding or spacing, straightforward cases | Either, depending on the dentist’s training |
| Crooked teeth, bite issues, jaw alignment concerns | Orthodontist |
| Complex cases involving multiple teeth or significant bite correction | Orthodontist |
| Children with developing bite or jaw concerns | Orthodontist |
If your situation falls anywhere in the “complex” end of that table, a specialist consultation is usually the more reliable starting point — even if you’ve already discussed it with your dentist.
Practical Tips for Choosing the Right Path
If you’re not sure where to start, these steps will help you make a more confident decision:
- Start with your regular dentist if you already have one. They know your dental history and can give you an initial view on whether your case is straightforward or likely to need specialist input.
- Ask directly about training and registration. It’s entirely reasonable to ask whether the person treating you is a general dentist or a registered specialist orthodontist — Healthdirect Australia notes that patients are entitled to ask about a practitioner’s qualifications before starting treatment (healthdirect.gov.au).
- Consider the complexity of what you’re dealing with. Mild gaps or minor crowding are different from a significant overbite, underbite, or crossbite. The more complex the concern, the more value there is in specialist training.
- Get a second opinion if something feels uncertain. There’s no harm in seeking an orthodontic assessment even if a dentist has already given you advice — particularly for children, where early diagnosis can matter.
- Check whether a referral is needed. In most cases, it isn’t — you can book directly with an orthodontist without seeing your dentist first.
- Ask what happens if your case turns out to be more complex than expected. A good practitioner, dentist or orthodontist, will tell you plainly if your case is outside their scope and refer you appropriately.
How Dentists and Orthodontists Work Together
In practice, dentists and orthodontists often work as a team rather than in competition. Many patients are referred from their general dentist to an orthodontist once a more complex alignment or bite concern is identified—and once orthodontic treatment is complete, it’s usually the general dentist who continues with ongoing maintenance and check-ups.
This collaborative approach exists because the two roles are genuinely complementary. A dentist’s broad view of your overall oral health, combined with an orthodontist’s specialist focus on alignment and bite mechanics, tends to produce a more complete picture than relying on just one or the other.
The Australian Dental Association notes that general dentists and specialist orthodontists are encouraged to collaborate on patient care, particularly for cases involving children’s developing bites or adult patients with more involved orthodontic needs (ada.org.au). If you’re unsure which professional to approach first, it’s entirely reasonable to ask your existing dentist for their view before deciding.
This is also where it helps to hear directly from an orthodontist about how they assess a case. Dr Peter from Smile Team recently filmed a short video walking through exactly this—what an orthodontist looks for in an initial consultation and how that differs from a general dental check-up. You can watch it here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR_dyytE9RF/
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Signs You Should See an Orthodontist Specifically
While a general dentist is a sensible first stop for most concerns, certain signs point more clearly towards a specialist consultation:
- Noticeably crooked, crowded, or gapped teeth that haven’t improved or have worsened over time
- A bite that feels uneven — teeth that don’t meet comfortably, or jaw clicking and discomfort
- Difficulty chewing or speaking that seems related to tooth or jaw position
- A child whose adult teeth are coming through visibly misaligned or whose jaw appears to be developing unevenly
- Previous orthodontic treatment that didn’t fully resolve, or teeth that have shifted significantly since treatment ended
If any of these sound familiar, it’s worth booking directly with an orthodontist rather than waiting for the issue to be raised at a routine dental check-up.
Making the Right Choice for Your Situation
There’s no need to overthink this. For day-to-day oral health, your general dentist remains the right person to see. For anything involving the position of your teeth, your bite, or jaw development — particularly anything beyond mild and straightforward — a registered specialist orthodontist is the more appropriate choice.
The most useful first step, if you’re at all unsure, is simply to book a consultation and ask. An orthodontist can tell you clearly whether your case needs specialist treatment or whether it could reasonably be managed elsewhere.