Your Dentist Is Not An Orthodontist

There are some dentists who offer braces or Invisalign, often at cheaper prices than orthodontists. Unfortunately, many people believe these dentists to be orthodontists – and they aren’t.

An orthodontist is a specialist who, after completing dental school, went back to university for an additional 3 years to learn orthodontics.

General dentists who lack this training can take weekend courses to train in Invisalign or braces.  After 10-20 hours of education, they receive a certificate and can begin to treat the public.

The difference between a dentist and an orthodontist is over 5000 hours of orthodontic education. And, to be blunt, it is why you should trust an Orthodontist to get the best, most predictable results for you.

You wouldn’t choose a family doctor to perform cosmetic surgery on you – you’d want a specialist. In the same way, it makes sense to trust your orthodontic treatment to the most qualified person.  And if you aren’t certain whether your doctor is an orthodontic specialist or a general dentist, just ask!

Questions to ask when choosing your orthodontist

1) Who will do the majority of the treatment? Will it be the orthodontist, a hygienist, or an assistant?

At Kellerstein Orthodontics, we believe that the most qualified person to provide your treatment is the doctor, not auxiliary personnel. Because of this, Dr. Kellerstein does all the work himself, and will not delegate any part of your treatment to hygienists or assistants.  Dr. Kellerstein will be the one to explain your treatment plan and answer your questions.  He will be the one who puts your braces on and takes them off, and he will do all of your adjustments himself.  Our goal is to provide you with the best possible treatment, and for that you need the best person doing the work.  That is our commitment to you!

2) How much time will the doctor spend with me at each visit?

As much time as necessary to do the work and answer your questions.  This might seem like an obvious answer, but many practices have a maximum amount of time that the doctor can spend with each patient (some as little as 2 minutes!).  We book our patients one at a time, and make sure that you will have as much time with the doctor as you need.

3) What is a typical wait time in your waiting room?

We know that your time is precious, and that you have other things to do in your day.  Our policy is to run on time and not keep patients waiting.  In fact, we have a standing policy to offer gift cards to any patient who has to wait in the reception area more than 15 minutes past their appointment time. For a typical appointment, you will be in and out of this office in 15 minutes.

4) How easy is it to get an appointment?

We are open Monday to Friday, and offer early morning and late evening appointments to better suit your schedule. We do our best to schedule most of your appointments at times that are convenient for you, and our policy for emergencies is that they are seen the day they call.

5) How easy is it to get to your office?

Our office is in the heart of North York, with easy access by car and TTC.

Free and ample parking is available to you in the back of our building. No parking meters need to be stuffed. You won't have to circle around for a parking spot, so you can get to your appointment on time and at ease. We are also conveniently located along the subway line, just a 5-minute walk from Downsview subway station.

5) What continuing education have you done, and are you using the best technologies for my treatment?

 Dr. Kellerstein teaches orthodontics at the graduate level at the University of Toronto.  This has enabled him to both learn and teach the latest advances in the specialty.  There are fewer than 15 graduate-level orthodontic instructors in Toronto, and Dr. Kellerstein is proud to be a member of that prestigious group.  As well, he is a member of the Toronto Orthodontic Study Club, the Ontario Association of Orthodontists, and the Canadian Association of Orthodontists, and both attends and teaches numerous continuing education courses each year.

6) How will you tailor my treatment to fit my lifestyle?

We do our utmost to match our patients’ lifestyle goals to their treatment plan. We offer Speed packages for those seeking the quickest results, Esthetics packages for those who want invisible treatment, and Standard packages for those who want the most economical option.  We have done the research to find the best technologies for each preference, and will spend the time explaining your options so that you can select the one that best fits your needs.