What Does Choosing the Right Orthodontist Actually Mean?
Knowing how to choose the right orthodontist comes down to three things: verified specialty training, treatment options that suit your case, and a practice you feel comfortable in. Orthodontists complete two to three years of residency after dental school. General dentists don’t. That extra training is what everything else rests on.
Board certification through the American Board of Orthodontics goes a step further. It’s voluntary, which is exactly why it matters. A provider who pursues it is choosing extra scrutiny of their clinical work. Some providers hold Board Qualified status, which reflects completion of the written examination stage of that same process, so it’s worth asking where a provider stands rather than assuming.
The “right” provider also depends on you. A straightforward crowding case has different needs than a bite that requires jaw surgery coordination. At Pure Smiles Orthodontics, Dr. Silvana Gonzalez treats children, teens, and adults, including surgical orthodontic cases that need collaboration with an oral surgeon. Your schedule, your budget, and your preference for braces or aligners all belong in that decision, too.
How to Evaluate an Orthodontist: A Step-by-Step Process
Evaluating an orthodontist takes six steps: verify specialty training and licensure, review before-and-after cases similar to yours, book a complimentary consultation, ask about the technology used, confirm scheduling and emergency care, then compare written personalized treatment plans and total costs. Work through all six before you commit to any practice.
- Verify credentials first. Confirm the provider completed an accredited orthodontic residency, holds an active state license, and check their board certification status. Membership in the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), Texas Dental Association (TDA), and American Dental Association (ADA) points to ongoing professional accountability.
- Look at cases that resemble yours. Anyone can show a photo of mild crowding. Ask to see open bites, deep bites, or adult retreatment cases if that’s what you’re dealing with.
- Book a complimentary consultation. Pay attention to how the diagnosis is explained. A strong orthodontist shows you what they see, names the issue, and gives you options rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it plan.
- Ask about technology. Digital scanning replaces goopy impressions, and 3D imaging supports more accurate planning. Our practice uses the iTero digital scanner, digital imaging, high-tech arch wires, and self-ligating brackets. Ask which aligner brands a practice actually offers, since some carry only one.
- Confirm the logistics. Office hours, wait times, how far in advance visits are booked, and what happens when a bracket pops off on a Saturday. Pure Smiles Orthodontics keeps a dedicated comfort calls line for exactly those moments.
- Compare written plans, not monthly numbers. A low monthly figure can hide a longer term or exclude retainers. Get the total in writing from every practice you’re considering.
Benefits of Choosing the Right Orthodontist
The payoff shows up years after your last visit. Here’s what a well-matched specialist gives you.
Why Does an Accurate Diagnosis Matter So Much?
Careful records and planning reduce the risk of relapse, drawn-out treatment, or needing a second round of orthodontics later. Severe crowding, open bites, crossbites, and jaw discrepancies need specialty-level planning, not a shortened course. Your trusted Austin orthodontist has the residency training to recognize what a quick visual exam would miss, and that recognition is what keeps a case from stalling halfway through.
How Do Treatment Options Affect Your Result?
When a practice offers metal braces, ceramic braces, self-ligating brackets, Invisalign, and Spark clear aligners, your personalized treatment plan fits your anatomy and lifestyle instead of the inventory on hand. Choice also improves cooperation. Family members who understand why elastics or wear time matter tend to follow through, and consistent cooperation keeps treatment on schedule.
- Protection for your finished smile. Teeth shift throughout life. Long-term retainer support is what preserves the result, which is why we offer a 5-Year Retainer Guarantee Program.
Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean, and that supports your overall oral health well beyond the cosmetic side.
Orthodontist vs. General Dentist vs. Mail-Order Aligners
All three can move teeth. They differ enormously in training, oversight, and the range of cases they can safely handle.
| Orthodontist | General Dentist | Direct-to-Consumer Aligners | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training | Dental school plus 2-3 year accredited orthodontic residency | Dental school plus optional continuing education courses | No treating clinician on site; remote review only |
| Supervision | In-person exams and adjustments every 4-8 weeks | In-person, frequency varies by practice | Self-monitored at home, photos submitted remotely |
| Diagnostics | Full records: X-rays, digital scans, photos, bite analysis | Varies; often limited imaging | No X-rays or clinical exam |
| Case range | Simple through complex, including surgical orthodontics | Typically mild cosmetic alignment | Mild crowding or spacing only |
| Cost | Varies by case complexity and appliance | Varies | Lower upfront, retreatment costs common |
The gap that matters most isn’t price. It’s what happens when something unexpected shows up, like root resorption, an impacted canine, or a bite that shifts mid-treatment. Those need hands, X-rays, and a specialist in the room. Mail-order companies can’t examine what they can’t see, which is why they screen out most bite issues entirely.
What Affects the Cost of Orthodontic Treatment
Two things drive orthodontic pricing more than anything else: how complex your case is and how long it takes to correct. After that, the appliance you choose shifts the number, since metal braces, ceramic braces, Invisalign, and Spark clear aligners are all priced differently. Early phase treatment or surgical coordination will change the total significantly, and retainers and follow-up care belong in the quote as well. Full treatment commonly falls somewhere in a typical cost range band nationally, though your written quote is the only figure that actually applies to you.
| Cost Factor | Why It Moves the Price |
|---|---|
| Case complexity | Rotations, impactions, and bite correction require more visits and appliances |
| Treatment length | Longer active treatment means more visits and adjustments |
| Appliance type | Ceramic and clear aligner options are typically priced above standard metal braces |
| Phase treatment | Early interceptive care in childhood is a separate phase from full treatment |
| Surgical orthodontics | Coordination with an oral surgeon adds records, planning, and surgical fees |
| Retention | Initial retainers, replacements, and long-term monitoring |
A few ways to keep costs manageable:
- Check your orthodontic lifetime maximum, which is separate from your annual dental benefit. We’re in network with a range of major plans.
- Use FSA or HSA dollars, since orthodontics is an eligible expense.
- Ask about flexible monthly payments before you rule anything out.
Request an all-inclusive written quote from every practice. Otherwise you’re comparing numbers that don’t cover the same things.
Who Should Start Looking for an Orthodontist?
There’s no single right age, but there are clear windows.
- Children (around age 7): The American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first evaluation by age 7, when enough permanent teeth have come in to reveal developing bite and spacing issues. Not every child needs treatment then. Early evaluation simply lets us watch growth and step in at the right moment.
- Teens: The most common window, once most permanent teeth have erupted. Today’s technology has made teen treatment more efficient and more comfortable than what their parents experienced.
- Adults: No upper age limit as long as your gums and supporting bone are healthy. According to the AAO, about one in five orthodontic family members is an adult, and Invisalign and Spark clear aligners are a big reason why. Adults across Austin come to us for exactly this reason.
Schedule an evaluation if you notice crowding, gaps, an overbite, underbite, crossbite, teeth that don’t meet when you chew, clicking or soreness in the jaw joint, or habitual mouth breathing. Bites with significant skeletal differences may call for a combined surgical and orthodontic plan, and that’s a conversation worth having early with your trusted Austin orthodontist.
A complimentary consultation is the low-commitment way to find out where you stand. Dr. Silvana Gonzalez and our team offer a boutique approach where we take as much time and attention as necessary, with flexible monthly payments, bilingual forms in English and Spanish, and a dedicated comfort calls line for the moments between visits. We treat our patients like family, and we’d be glad to help you discover your pure smile.
Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing an Orthodontist
What is the difference between an orthodontist and a dentist?
Every orthodontist is a dentist, but only a small percentage of dentists are orthodontists. After dental school, an orthodontist completes an additional two to three years of accredited residency focused entirely on tooth movement, jaw growth, and bite correction. General dentists may take continuing education courses in orthodontics, but they don’t complete residency training. That distinction is worth understanding before you compare two providers who both say they offer braces.
How do I know if an orthodontist is board certified?
The American Board of Orthodontics maintains a public directory of certified orthodontists you can search by name or location. You can also ask the practice directly. Certification requires submitting completed cases for peer review, and it’s renewed periodically rather than granted for life. Dr. G holds Board Qualified Orthodontist status, meaning she has completed the written examination phase of the ABO process, and she maintains membership in the AAO, TDA, and ADA.
What questions should I ask at my first visit?
Ask what’s causing the issue, what happens if you do nothing, and which treatment options would work for your case. Then get practical: total cost including retainers, expected treatment length, visit frequency, who you’ll see at each visit, and what the emergency protocol is. Write the answers down so you can compare practices side by side without relying on memory a week later.
Is a free consultation really free?
At Pure Smiles Orthodontics, yes. Your complimentary consultation includes a clinical exam with Dr. G, digital records, and a discussion of your options with no obligation to start. Some practices charge for X-rays or records separately, so confirm what’s included when you book your first visit.
Can I switch orthodontists mid-treatment?
You can. It happens regularly with moves, insurance changes, or when a family member isn’t happy with their progress. Request your records, including X-rays and your current personalized treatment plan, and bring them to the new practice. Expect a transfer exam and a revised plan, since fees are usually prorated based on the work remaining. Being welcomed as part of our family partway through treatment is something we handle often, and the transition is more straightforward than most people expect.
How long does orthodontic treatment usually take?
Most full treatment runs 12 to 24 months, though simple cases can finish sooner and complex or surgical cases take longer. Your visit schedule typically falls every 4 to 8 weeks. How consistently you wear elastics or aligners has a real effect on that timeline, and your visits stay shorter when everything is tracking the way it should. Choosing an orthodontist is a decision you’ll live with for a year or more, and the result will follow you for decades, so take your time with it and ask the hard questions before you sign anything.