Dentistry
Dentistry works towards the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases and conditions associated with the mouth and teeth. General dentists diagnose, treat, or restore missing or damaged and diseased teeth and provide preventative oral care. Some dentists treat only adults and others practice family dentistry and treat individuals of all ages.
Dentistry Areas
There are nine areas of dentistry that deal with specific dental conditions and treatments:
- Endodontics deals with nerve diseases and diseases of other dental tissues.
- Orthodontics deals with tooth and oral structure development. Orthodontists treat irregular and abnormal dental development.
- Periodontics focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases of the oral mucous membranes, gums, and bones that support the teeth.
- Oral surgery corrects and treats diseases and injuries in the mouth and jaw.
- Pediatric dentistry treats children and adolescents.
- Prosthodontics replaces missing natural teeth (dentures, dental implants, dental crowns, and dental bridges).
- Dental public health is a type of dentistry that treats a community rather than individual patients to prevent and control periodontal diseases.
- Oral pathology deals with diseases of the mouth, and studies the diseases to identify the causes, effects, and progression.
- Oral radiology focuses on the radiologic identification and interpretation of diseases of the mouth, face, and jaw.
Other Dentistry Procedures
People who visit the dentist will most likely need one or more of these common dental procedures at some point in their lives. With new advances in technology and methods in dentistry, such as sedation dentistry, the procedures are performed more quickly and comfortably than ever before.
Missing teeth from injury or poor oral hygiene can affect people's smile and self confidence. Fortunately, dental implants offer a solution to improve smiles. Dental implants, an alternative to dentures and dental bridges, are metal cylinders that act as roots for replacement teeth. Once the cylinder is implanted, an abutment is attached and an artificial tooth, or dental crown, is affixed to the abutment. The crown looks like a real tooth and completes the smile.
Dental bridges are used to replace missing teeth with an artificial tooth that is held in place by material that wraps around the other supporting teeth. Dental crowns are used to repair decayed teeth. People often get dentures to replace missing or damaged teeth that can not be repaired or restored with other common dentistry procedures.
Dental fillings remove decay in teeth and fill in the area where the decay was removed with composite or porcelain materials. 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. Root canals are performed to remove diseased or damaged tissue within a tooth.
Laser Dentistry
Laser dentistry employs dental lasers to perform a variety of dental procedures, instead of using traditional dentistry tools such as brush heads, suctions, or rinse heads. Dental lasers offer a precise beam of light and make no actual physical contact with a person’s mouth. Dental lasers may produce less pain and faster recovery than traditional dentistry procedures. Laser dentistry can be used for traditional dentistry procedures such as dental crowns and dental fillings, and cosmetic dentistry procedures such as teeth whitening.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry applies techniques to improve the appearance of teeth to straighten, whiten, and give a healthier looking smile. A cosmetic dentist can improve the appearance of his/her patient's teeth through the use of teeth whitening, dental implants, dental veneers, and other procedures.
Some common cosmetic dentistry procedures are:
- Dental implants have artificial roots that are implanted by a dentist into the jaw to hold a bridge or tooth, providing natural looking teeth. Dental implants are an ideal option for people with good oral health who have lost teeth to injury or to disease.
- Dental veneers are thin, porcelain or composite material shells which cover the front tooth surface to improve the color and shape of the teeth. The veneer shells are bonded to the front of the tooth changing the shape, size, and color. Veneers are work well for patients who have gaps in their teeth or where whitening is not successful.
- Teeth whitening is a common cosmetic dentistry procedure. Teeth whitening bleaches stains and discolorations on the teeth, dramatically improving appearance temporarily.
For more comprehensive information about cosmetic dentistry, laser dentistry, cosmetic dentists, or other dental procedures, visit Consumer Guide to Dentistry.