Dental Health Specialists

When the term dentistry comes to mind, people often call and go to the local family dental clinic for checking, cleaning and filling their teeth. In itself, the twice-yearly habit of visiting the dentist is the very least everyone could do for optimal dental health. However, the dental health profession is much broader than most people think, and dentists are just one of the many specialties in the seemingly saturated field of dental health.

Some people may not even realize it but there are many different branches of dental health and there are many different dental specialists who specialize in a different aspect in their patients’ dental health. Some dental health specialists can even go beyond than what a general dentist can do and have more training, qualifications, and certifications in that certain area of dental health. But where does one go to when the problem goes beyond the teeth? In today’s post, let’s take a look at some of the common dental specialists we encounter every day and what their responsibilities are.

Pediatric dentist

Pediatric dentists are dental health professionals who specialize in caring for the dental health of children or juveniles. Some parents choose to take their children to a regular dentist, but taking children to pediatric dentists is highly recommended, even for young teenagers. A pediatrician dentist will perform procedures like a regular dentist—oral examination, teeth cleaning, and cavity filling, among many other responsibilities.

Orthodontist

Most people are familiar with orthodontics, but they do not associate positive thoughts with the orthodontist. An orthodontist is a dental health professional who specializes in the correct alignment of teeth and, in some respects, the jaw. An orthodontist may determine the need for braces, retainers, or other equipment to help correct or straighten teeth.

Oral surgeon

Ordinary dentists can perform daily tooth extractions, but for more intensive procedures, you will most likely need to see an oral surgeon. Oral surgeons specialize in performing major or minor surgical operations on the mouth; teeth; jaw; and—not many know this—the head, face, and neck (for maxillofacial surgeons). The oral surgeon will be equipped to do the best surgical operation for your mouth (if needed) and with the least amount of pain. If you have wisdom teeth that need to be extracted, then you should most likely need to see an oral surgeon.

Periodontist

A periodontist is a type of dental professional who specializes in gums. If you have gingivitis, a periodontist can help you find the right medication and surgical procedure to prevent or treat gum problems. In some cases, a periodontist may take the hat of an oral surgeon to perform procedures that involves removing or reconstructing damaged gums.

Endodontist

An endodontist specializes in the treatment of root canals. Normally, dentists are trained and skilled enough to make a root canal; however, if the root canal is too deep and requires a lot of work, then a patient would be better off seeing someone who specializes in this procedure. Endodontists will do any dental work relating to a patient’s nerves, dental enamel, or mouth blood vessels.

The right dental health practitioner for the right job

As we can see, there are many different fields in dental health. Many people are not even aware that there are many different types of dental health specialists. However, each all serve a different, different purpose. Seeing the right type of dental health practitioner for the right problem can be solved more easily and may be less painful for the patient. Make sure that you schedule your appointments with a specialist for all your dental procedures.

Choose the practitioner with the latest tools in their arsenal

Always choose the best dentist who is using the best technologies and modern dental equipment. Specifically manufactured equipment such as vacuum systems, air compressors, digital images, and utility rooms, water nozzles, hand tools, and modern dental chairs should be standard in your chosen dental professional’s clinic. Also, many dentists today use modern dental chairs to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Such chairs are designed with sliding valves to prevent the flow of oral fluids in the wrong direction, and this does not include the eye protection devices, high-tech masks, protective clothing, and face shields dental health professionals use to protect themselves.

Together with the dental practitioner, his team of assistants, and others who work in the clinic, everyone can have the best dental health they deserve.