Dentistry

Dentistry is an area of medicine that prevents, diagnoses, and treats conditions associated with the oral cavity. The field of dentistry includes general dentistry, family dentistry, and cosmetic dentistry and common dentistry procedures include dental fillings, dental crowns, root canals, and dental bridges.

In addition to these procedures, there are nine special areas of dentistry that deal with specific conditions and treatments of the mouth and teeth. A person who practices dentistry is called a dentist. Dentists may specialize in various areas of dental care and many also specialize in sedation dentistry. To find a dentist, a person can visit a dentist directory online.

Dentist

A dentist is a person who works in the field of dentistry to prevent, diagnose, and treat problems associated with the teeth and mouth. Common procedures dentists perform include:

• Cavity fillings
• Oral examinations
• Broken tooth repair
• Teeth straightening
• Removal of decayed teeth
• Use dental sealants to prevent tooth decay
• Overall dental health

Cosmetic dentists are individuals who work to improve the appearance of a person's teeth and smile. Cosmetic dentistry procedures include teeth whitening, dental veneers, dental implants and other procedures.

Common Dental Procedures

Even a person with good dental hygiene and dental health may need one or more of these common dentistry procedures, including dental fillings or a root canal. Thanks new methods to provide comfort for patients such as sedation dentistry, these procedures can be performed quickly and patients can be more relaxed during the procedures.

Root Canals: Root canals are performed to remove diseased or damaged tissue within a tooth.

Dental Fillings: A dental filling is usually a composite or resin based material that fills in the tooth after decay is removed by a dentist.

Dental Braces: Dental braces help to correct a person's bite and teeth alignment for a healthier, straighter smile and improved chewing.

Dental Bridges: Dental bridges are used to replace missing teeth with artificial tooth that is held in place by material that warps around other supporting teeth.

Bonding: Bonding repairs cracked and chipped teeth. A composite material is applied to the tooth surface and then molded and shaped to fit the tooth. It is then polished to disguise the crack or chip in the tooth.

Dental Crowns: Dental crowns are used to repair decayed teeth. Crowns cover the entire surface of the decayed tooth to add stability and strength.

Dentures: People often get dentures to replace missing or damaged teeth that cannot be repaired or restored with other common dentistry procedures.

Laser Dentistry: Laser dentistry is a relatively new dental practice that replaces drills and other common dental equipment in place of a laser. Lasers can be used to remove decay from teeth, perform surgeries, tooth whitening and a number of other common dental procedures.

Dentistry Areas

Dentists may serve as general practitioners and treat, diagnose, and restore damaged or missing teeth and provide preventative oral care. However, there are nine dentistry areas that specialize in specific conditions and treatments.

• Orthodontics: The field of orthodontics deals with tooth and oral structure development. Orthodontists treat irregular and abnormal dental development. Orthodontic treatment may also include treating dental bite problems with braces.
• Oral Surgery: Oral surgeons correct and treat conditions and injuries in the mouth and jaw such as TMJ.
• Pediatric Dentistry: Pediatric dentists treat children and adolescents. A pediatric dentist helps children to develop healthy dental health and hygiene habits.
• Prosthodontics: Prosthodontics is an area of dentistry that focuses on replacing missing natural teeth.
• Periodontics: Periodontics is an area of dentistry that focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases of the oral mucous membranes, gums, and bones that support the teeth.
• Endodontics: Dentists in the field of endodontics deal with nerve diseases and diseases of other dental tissues.
• Oral Radiology: Oral radiology is the newest specialty recently recognized by the ADA.
• Dental Public Health: Dentists in the field of dental public health treat a community rather than individual patients to prevent and control periodontal diseases.
• Oral Pathology: Oral pathology is an area of dentistry in which dentists deal with diseases of the mouth, and studies the diseases to identify the causes, effects, and progression.

For comprehensive information about dentistry and other common dentistry procedures, visit Consumer Guide to Dentistry.