What's the Difference Between an Orthodontist and a Dentist?
Orthodontists and dentists both care for your teeth — but they're not the same. Learn why specialist training matters and when you need each.
It is a question we hear regularly at our practice in Claremont: “Can I just get braces from my dentist, or do I need to see a specialist?” Sometimes it comes from patients who are already seeing a great general dentist and wonder if they need a second referral. Sometimes it comes from adults who have been putting off treatment for years and are not quite sure where to start.
The short answer is that orthodontists and dentists are different — in training, in scope, and in what they do best. Understanding the distinction helps you make a better decision about your care.
Both Start at the Same Place
Every registered orthodontist in Australia is first a dentist. The pathway goes like this: a five-year dental degree, followed by a period of general dental practice, followed by three additional years of full-time postgraduate study in orthodontics — a specialist program recognised by the Dental Board of Australia.
That postgraduate training is not a short course or a weekend seminar. It is the equivalent of another university degree, focused entirely on the mechanics of tooth movement, jaw growth and development, bite correction, and the long-term stability of orthodontic results. By the time an orthodontist is in practice, they have completed eight or more years of tertiary education in the health sciences.
General dentists typically complete a five-year degree and then enter practice managing the full spectrum of dental care — fillings, extractions, crowns, root canal treatment, gum disease, and more. This breadth is exactly what makes a good general dentist valuable. But it also means orthodontics is one of many disciplines they manage, not a deep specialisation.
What a General Dentist Does
Your regular dentist is the foundation of good dental health. They handle:
- Routine examinations and cleans
- Cavity detection and fillings
- X-rays to monitor tooth and bone health
- Gum disease treatment and prevention
- Crowns, bridges, and veneers
- Tooth extractions
- Basic cosmetic dentistry
A good general dentist will also be the person who first notices if your bite looks off, if your teenager’s teeth are crowding, or if your wisdom teeth are causing misalignment. Often, they refer patients to a specialist orthodontist for treatment.
Here in Claremont and across Perth’s western suburbs — Nedlands, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Peppermint Grove — most patients have a GP dentist they see regularly and separately see a specialist when something falls outside general dental scope. That is how the system is designed to work.
What a Specialist Orthodontist Does
A specialist orthodontist’s entire clinical focus is on the movement of teeth and the correction of jaw relationships. That is all we do. At Claremont Orthodontics, Dr Denize does not place fillings or perform extractions — his practice is exclusively orthodontics.
This specialisation means deeper expertise in:
- Diagnosis of complex bite problems — overbites, underbites, crossbites, and open bites often have a skeletal component (involving the jaw itself) as well as a dental component. Correctly identifying the nature of the problem determines the right treatment approach.
- Growth management in children and teenagers — growing jaws offer opportunities that adult jaws do not. A specialist knows how to time treatment to take advantage of growth, which can simplify corrections significantly.
- Treatment planning for complex cases — when several things need to move in a precise sequence to achieve the right final result, the planning process becomes genuinely complex. This is where specialist training earns its keep.
- Long-term stability — getting teeth straight is one thing; making sure they stay straight requires an understanding of the forces that caused the original problem and how to counteract them.
Can a Dentist Provide Orthodontic Treatment?
Legally, yes — in Australia, general dentists can provide some orthodontic treatments, including simple clear aligner cases under various commercial aligner systems. Some dentists complete additional training in orthodontics and offer this as part of their practice.
The question is not whether it is legal. It is whether it is the right clinical choice for your situation.
For a very simple alignment case in a healthy adult — minor crowding, straightforward tooth movement — a well-trained general dentist with orthodontic experience may achieve a good result. For anything more complex — significant bite issues, jaw discrepancies, treatment in growing children, cases requiring extractions as part of the orthodontic plan — the specialist skill set tends to matter considerably.
Dr Denize sees patients regularly who have started treatment elsewhere and found it has stalled or not achieved what they expected. Undoing or redirecting partially completed orthodontic treatment is always more complicated than doing it right the first time.
When to See Your Dentist vs. When to See an Orthodontist
See your dentist for:
- Routine check-ups and cleans (every six months, as a baseline)
- Toothache, sensitivity, or decay
- Gum problems or bleeding
- Broken teeth or lost fillings
- Cosmetic concerns like staining or chipping
See a specialist orthodontist for:
- Crooked, crowded, or overlapping teeth
- Gaps between teeth
- Bite problems — overbite, underbite, crossbite, or open bite
- A child’s first orthodontic assessment (recommended by age 7)
- Adults considering braces or clear aligners
- Jaw pain or clicking that may relate to how your teeth come together
- A second opinion on orthodontic treatment you have been recommended
Importantly, these two do not compete. Many of our patients from Subiaco, Dalkeith, and Claremont Quarter continue seeing their regular dentist throughout orthodontic treatment with us. We actively encourage it — oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment is more demanding, and your dentist’s role in monitoring your teeth and gums during that period is important.
How Referrals Work
You do not need a referral to come and see us. Many patients book directly at claremontorthodontics.com.au/new-patients or call (08) 6288 7188 after noticing a concern themselves or after a conversation with a family member.
That said, many of our patients do come via referral from their general dentist, who has noticed an issue and recommends a specialist assessment. We communicate back with referring dentists to keep them informed of their patient’s treatment progress. It is a team approach, and it works well.
If you come in without a referral, that is equally fine. At the consultation, Dr Denize will assess your situation independently and give you his honest clinical view.
The Claremont Orthodontics Consultation
When you visit our practice at 7/355 Stirling Highway — opposite Christ Church Grammar School — for an initial consultation, you can expect:
- A thorough clinical examination of your teeth, bite, jaw alignment, and facial profile
- Diagnostic records (digital scans, X-rays, photographs) where needed to complete the assessment
- A clear explanation of the findings in plain language
- A frank discussion of the treatment options, realistic timelines, and what each would involve
We do not present a single option and tell you to take it. We explain the choices, the trade-offs, and our clinical recommendation — and we give you time to think it through.
Families from Mosman Park to Peppermint Grove, professionals from Kings Park to Freshwater Bay, and students from Scotch College to PLC all come through our doors asking the same questions. We take the same care with every assessment.
If you have been wondering whether you or someone in your family needs to see an orthodontist rather than waiting for the next dentist appointment to raise the issue — the straightforward answer is: book an assessment and find out. It does not commit you to anything, and the information is worth having.
Take our free 3-minute assessment at claremontorthodontics.com.au/assessment, visit our new patients page for more on what to expect, or find out more about us and Dr Denize’s specialist training and background.
You can also reach us directly on (08) 6288 7188 — we are at 7/355 Stirling Highway, Claremont.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Frequently asked questions
General dentists can legally provide some orthodontic treatments in Australia, including simple clear aligner cases. However, a specialist orthodontist has completed three additional years of full-time postgraduate training in orthodontics — the equivalent of another degree focused exclusively on tooth movement, jaw development, and bite correction. For anything beyond the most straightforward cases, the clinical depth of a specialist typically makes a meaningful difference to the outcome.
No, you do not need a referral to see a specialist orthodontist in Australia. You can book directly. Many of our patients at Claremont Orthodontics self-refer after noticing an issue themselves, or after discussing it with their regular dentist. A referral from your dentist is welcome but not required.
Absolutely. Your general dentist and your orthodontist serve different roles and both are important. During orthodontic treatment, maintaining your regular dental check-ups and cleans is especially important — braces and aligners can make oral hygiene more challenging, and your dentist can monitor your teeth and gums throughout. We recommend continuing to see your regular dentist every six months while you are in treatment with us.
Specialist fees may be higher in some cases, reflecting the additional training and clinical depth a specialist brings. But the more useful question is value — what outcomes do you want, and who is best placed to deliver them? For straightforward cosmetic work, a general dentist may be entirely appropriate. For bite correction, jaw discrepancies, or complex movements, the specialist skill set tends to matter more.
In Australia, you can verify specialist registration through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Registered specialists carry the title 'specialist orthodontist' and must be recognised by AHPRA under the specialist orthodontics scope. You can also look for membership of the Australian Society of Orthodontists. Dr Stewart Denize at Claremont Orthodontics is a registered specialist orthodontist.
Have a question about your situation?
Book a consultation with our specialist orthodontists. We will assess your case and give you honest, straightforward answers.