What is the differences in triamcinolone acetonide cream and the ointment?

Kaismama is correct. They are the same exact medication, they're just in different application forms. The ointment will be thicker, and likely oilier, than the cream, and the cream will likely be thicker than the lotion. I personally used the lotion for a long time (we thought it would be thin enough to put on my scalp, but my hair is so thick and dense it took half a bottle just for one application on my full scalp, so I could only put it on the worst of the spots on my scalp. Finally got a prescription for a liquid scalp solution, different medication though, barely have to use any) and it was thin and runny and you barely needed to use any, which I'm sure you're familiar with. Your daughter's doctor may have prescribed a thicker form of the medication so it would kind of stick to the skin a bit better than another form. Also, if you live in a cold region, a thicker form might be better for winter weather, especially if you're daughter's skin is dry and flaky, and apt to crack and bleed if it gets too dry. A thicker formula, like an ointment, is usually better in cases such as that because they'll keep the skin supple and moist compared to something more liquid than a lotion, and the inactive ingredients in the ointment would act as a protective agent against the elements to protect the skin while the active ingredient in the ointment is healing the skin. I don't know why your daughter is using it, but I personally have eczema (though I haven't had a patch in a long time, though as a child it covered much of my body, and covered 90% of my body for my first 2 years of life), psoriasis (it seemed my eczema morphed into psoriasis as I got older, strange. I actually also went from having it on my scalp and behind my ears, to having it there and my face, and then in my groin, and this year I also now have it on my stomach, legs, arms, hips and butt... so now it's all over my body, which is the first year that's happened), and sebopsoriasis on my face (I have both psoriasis and seborrhea dermatitis on my face. Apparently psoriasis is rather rare to cover the face. Lucky me! But I have other "rare" health issues as well). I've used lots of things over the years. Before my current medications from my dermatologist, I'd been using triamcinalone lotion for a few years, and that worked for a while until my psoriasis decided to move to my whole body and get very, very bad. So, I have quite a bit of experience with both prescription topical medications and things found over the counter. Actually, my current dermatologist basically ordered me to wash my face with liquid tea tree oil soap. I bought tea tree oil castille soap, which is made with natural saponified oils, has under 10 ingredients total, and you know what every ingredient is (and they're all natural of course), and I've been washing my face with that and it's been working much better than I expected. It's been clearing up my face. She also ordered me to wash my hair with tea tree oil shampoo a few times a week, to basically exfoliate the dead skin off of my scalp created from my scalp medication, and to decrease the inflammation in the skin (tea tree oil is a natural topical anti-inflammatory, and has other properties that's good for skin conditions), and it's worked very well for that too. So I've decided to use the castille soap as a body wash and it's been working great for that too. If you have any questions about other products to use for skin conditions, feel free to ask me. I've used just about everything you can possibly think of!

The only difference is the form its in. The cream rubs in the oint doesn't.