A general dentist is the one you are likely to see on a regular basis. They offer general and routine dental care, such as dental cleanings and routine exams. In addition, they also provide emergency care, fillings, tooth repair, crowns, bridges, and veneers. But sometimes our smiles need more than standard care.
In this case, there are several types of dental specialists, each with a particular role to fill for your oral care.
Dental specialists are dentists who receive additional training in a specific dental specialty, above and beyond their general dentistry degree.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF DENTISTS
A pediatric dentist or pedodontist is a type of dentist who treats mainly children.
Pedodontists understand the different challenges working with children can create, such as anxiety and different dental needs. Sedation is different for children, and these dental specialists satisfy to that.
Orthodontists are commonly thought of as the dentists that provide traditional braces and invisible braces to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. Now the field includes dentofacial orthopedics as well. The goal of both of these modalities is to correct a bad bite or a malocclusion. The bite is the way that the upper and lower set of teeth actually come together. Orthodontists also make different types of retainers to keep your teeth lined up over time.
Oral surgeons are best known for wisdom tooth extractions, especially in cases where the wisdom teeth are impacted. In addition to these extractions, oral surgeons perform other complex oral surgeries that can correct misaligned jaws, facial trauma due to an accident, dental implants, TMJ surgeries, bone grafts, and oral biopsies to look for oral cancer.
An endodontist is also known as a root canal specialist. They treat the sick, dead, inflamed or infected nerve of a tooth that can cause excruciating pain. They use specialized tools to drill a small hole in the top of the tooth and remove the dead and infected tissue. Once removed, they fill the small dental canals with a specialized rubber material to prevent bacteria from entering and further damaging the tooth. A temporary filling goes into place until a crown is made.
A periodontist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the soft tissues within the mouth, including the bones and gums. They are experts in the area of oral inflammation. They focus on problems that patients have with their gums, bone and tissues which support the teeth.
A prosthodontist specializes in the replacement of missing teeth or the repair of your natural teeth. This specialist will make use of caps and crowns to correct any areas of concern within the patient’s mouth. A prosthodontist is also involved in the dental implant process. Prosthodontists also build specialized dentures for patients who have lost part of their jaw due to accidents, cancer or physical defects.
Oral Medicine and Radiology is the specialty that focuses on the diagnosis and medical management of complex diagnostic and medical disorders affecting the mouth and jaws and the Radiology part of the subject equips the budding dentists in the field of diagnosis using conventional and advanced imaging methods.
Oral pathology is the specialty of dentistry and discipline of pathology that deals with the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. In other words, oral pathology is the science that understands the causes and effects of these diseases. Common practices include clinical examinations, lab testing, and taking the whole body health and chemistry into consideration.
Public health Dentists plan oral health programs for populations. Select interventions and strategies for the prevention and control of oral diseases and promotion of oral health. Implement, manage and develop resources for oral health programs for population. Incorporate ethical standards in oral health programs and activities.