The main difference between a dentist and an orthodontist lies in their training and the type of care they provide. Here's a clear comparison:

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries around the world have imposed deferment of all non-emergency or routine dental care. Wondering how this is affecting you and your family? Dental clinics are a unique place. All the check-ups, orthodontic adjustments, cleaning and fillings require a patient to open their mouth for a prolong period of time. This has become an ideal channel for the spread of the COVID-19 virus; especially with dental procedures involving aerosol generation, spreading micro-droplets from the mouth into the air. Hence health authorities in many countries have restricted the practice of dentistry, to only attend to essential services like dental emergencies. So now, you’re in a situation where you or your child has not been able to see a dentist for a long time to do a regular dental check-up, teeth cleaning, or to fix a long-standing cavity in the mouth... and the problem tooth is starting to hurt. Is this regarded as a dental emergency? What is a Dental Emergency? A dental emergency is any pain, infection, broken teeth, fillings, braces, wire poking or retainers causing pain interfering with daily lives are considered as dental emergency. As for children, they may not be able to accurately verbalize their dental pain, and may be difficult for parents to identify the extent of their discomfort. Here are a few tell-tale signs you can look out for in your child before contacting your kid’s dentist : Avoiding hot or cold foods Loss of appetite Keeps touching his/her face or mouth Crying more than usual, at trivial matters Disturbed sleep, inability to wake up in the morning Constantly putting finger/foreign objects in the mouth Not focused on studies or daily activities Bad breath that won’t go away despite brushing Bleeding gums or blood while brushing Ulcers forming in the mouth If you are suspicious, you may first contact your dentist or your kid’s dentist over the phone, do a virtual consultation or tele-consultation, and share some photos if possible. The kids dentist or pediatric orthodontist will be able to advice on your next step of action.