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General practitioner vs orthodontist

The differences between general practitioners and orthodontists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an orthodontist has an average salary of $215,333, which is higher than the $172,831 average annual salary of a general practitioner.

The top three skills for a general practitioner include patients, diagnosis and internal medicine. The most important skills for an orthodontist are patients, diagnosis, and OSHA.

General practitioner vs orthodontist overview

General PractitionerOrthodontist
Yearly salary$172,831$215,333
Hourly rate$83.09$103.53
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs64,69818,456
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age4846
Years of experience4-

What does a general practitioner do?

A General Practitioner provides primary and continuing medical care for patients within their community. They are responsible for diagnosing patients, checking patients results, and providing treatment as required.

What does an orthodontist do?

An orthodontist is responsible for evaluating the dental records, including x-ray and surgery results of a patient, administering medications to treat dental issues and avoid further health complications. Orthodontists perform adjustments on the patients' dental condition, including teeth improvement procedures, by utilizing dental equipment and tools for operations. They inspect the efficiency of the operating equipment and machine, ensuring its stability and top-performance condition by conducting regular maintenance and sterilizing equipment to prevent contamination that may affect dental results.

General practitioner vs orthodontist salary

General practitioners and orthodontists have different pay scales, as shown below.

General PractitionerOrthodontist
Average salary$172,831$215,333
Salary rangeBetween $85,000 And $347,000Between $121,000 And $381,000
Highest paying CityOklahoma City, OKSacramento, CA
Highest paying stateMississippiAlaska
Best paying companyAltru Health SystemMayo Clinic
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between general practitioner and orthodontist education

There are a few differences between a general practitioner and an orthodontist in terms of educational background:

General PractitionerOrthodontist
Most common degreeDoctoral Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common majorMedicineAdvanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Southern California

General practitioner vs orthodontist demographics

Here are the differences between general practitioners' and orthodontists' demographics:

General PractitionerOrthodontist
Average age4846
Gender ratioMale, 60.9% Female, 39.1%Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 17.6% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%12%

Differences between general practitioner and orthodontist duties and responsibilities

General practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Shadow and note specific medical cases as well as participated in patient diagnosis and treatment plan discussions
  • Evaluate a variety of medical conditions and afflictions, including making comprehensive diagnosis and specifying treatment plans.
  • Serve as initial contact to hospital patients; conduct thorough patient assessments and coordinate referrals to appropriate physicians base on findings
  • Assist in major elective and emergency surgeries such as appendectomies, exploratory laparotomy, thyroid surgery, hysterectomy and cesarean operations.
  • Collect and dispatch blood samples according to national malaria eradication and sputum samples for national tuberculosis control program.

Orthodontist example responsibilities.

  • Manage Invisalign treatments and procedures.
  • Present financial arrangements for all patients, which result in increase revenue and accountability of services accept.
  • Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills, and establish trust and strong rapport with patients.
  • Deliver and cement appliances at doctor's request as well as fit and cement orthodontic bands.
  • Attend educational seminars to obtain the latest technology in orthodontics.
  • Represent CPE program at regional recruitment events.
  • Show more

General practitioner vs orthodontist skills

Common general practitioner skills
  • Patients, 32%
  • Diagnosis, 7%
  • Internal Medicine, 6%
  • Outpatient Clinic, 5%
  • Emergency Room, 5%
  • Oral Surgery, 4%
Common orthodontist skills
  • Patients, 68%
  • Diagnosis, 6%
  • OSHA, 3%
  • Ortho, 3%
  • Dental Practice, 2%
  • Treatment Planning, 2%

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