Can A Dentist Offer Orthodontics Without Being an Orthodontist?

My kids have been seeing a pediatric dentist that we all love for years--so when the time came that my two oldest needed braces, naturally I was thrilled that they could stay with him for their orthodontic care as well. Yes, I spoke with several satisfied friends and acquaintences whose children had gotten braces through him, and at every visit, his office is filled with teenagers in braces, so it never occurred to me that I should "research" his educational background or question his knowledge/experience with regard to orthodontics until I recently heard that a staff member from a local orthodontist's office claimed that our dentist is not properly "qualified" to correct orthodontic issues.

So-- while my kids are getting beautifully straight teeth, and we've had no complaints about the care they've recieved, of course this concerns me. Nobody likes feeling that they have made a poor decision ...but now I am left to wonder --could this be true? If it is, why has no one "raised the red flag" then?

Would it even be LEGAL for him (or anyone) to straighten teeth without any specialized training in that area? And since I have a third child who will need braces in about a year, what I\'d love to know is if it is even possible for a practioner to apply braces without having been through some sort of education and subsequent certification process??

I'll admit, I assumed that this dentist has all the right certifications,background, etc. because I can't imagine anyone trying to straighten someone's teeth WITHOUT it!!! Is that entirely naive of me? Please advise.