What is a dentist really called?

When you visit the dentist, you may have noticed those three small letters that appear after your name, DDS, or DMD. That same dentist may have referred you to a dental specialist. A general dentist is your primary care dental provider. This dentist diagnoses, treats, and manages your overall oral health care needs, including gum care, root canals, fillings, crowns, veneers, bridges, and preventive education.

An endodontist is also known as a root canal specialist. Treat the diseased, dead, inflamed or infected nerve in a tooth that can cause unbearable pain. The inside of each tooth has living blood vessels and cells called the pulp. If tooth decay, crack, or trauma affects the pulp, the nerve dies and becomes infected and can cause pressure and inflammation on the bone and tissue that supports the tooth.

Sometimes patients will have an inflamed area and pus will drain from around the root. When an endodontist performs root canal treatment, they will drill a small access hole in the upper part of the tooth, remove infected tissue, clean and shape the canals with small modeling files, and place a rubber material called gutta percha in the canal to seal it from any other invasions of bacteria. the space. In general, this will immediately eliminate all pain in the area, and with the help of antibiotics, the tooth will usually feel better very soon.

Once the endodontist has completed the root canal, a temporary filling is placed in the access area. The general dentist will make a porcelain crown on the top of the back tooth to protect it from fracture. Endodontists also perform surgery (an apicoectomy) on teeth that have a chronic infection that is not cured by regular root canal treatments. A general dentist is also known as a family dentist and takes care of your oral health on a regular basis.

This is the most common type of dentist and most of his work revolves around important preventive oral care. This includes regular dental cleanings, dental x-rays, and educating patients about proper oral care at home. General dentists are also responsible for restorative oral care, such as treating tooth decay by replacing it with artificial fillings, repairing cracked, chipped or missing teeth, and whitening services. They also treat oral problems caused by gum disease and root problems below the gum line.

Your general dentist can also help guide you on the path of placing braces, false teeth, mouth guards, and other treatments. Because your general dentist is the healthcare professional who is likely to see the most, they are also monitoring the health of your mouth, neck, and head to make sure there are no problems. Some people, and the emphasis on it, do not see “dentistry” as a real medical practice, while others do. When determining whether a dentist falls into the same category as a doctor, one should simply analyze his medical training, the type of degree he receives and what his job entails.

Pantops Prosthodontics has resumed care for all registered patients as well as new patients. Call 434-977-9836 to schedule an appointment. As we welcome patients, changes have been implemented to ensure patient safety. View COVID-19 safety measures in patient care.

Pantops Prostodontics has resumed care for all registered patients, as well as for new patients. My team and I provide personalized dental services for the whole family and offer orthodontic treatments, implant dentistry, periodontic and botox treatments (for TMJ and migraines and cosmetic botox) and much more. Many underlying health conditions have strong links to dental health, and a dentist can detect early signs of health problems, such as complications of diabetes. Pediatric dentists specialize in oral development and dental care for children from infancy through adolescence.

Dentists typically complete three to four years of college education and then four years of dental school to become general dentists. General dentists are trained to handle all routine dental care and minor dental procedures, such as dental fillings. Your general dentist or doctor will refer you to any type of dentistry they are not qualified to provide. In fact, dentists are considered doctors in their own field of medicine based on these qualifications.

For example, gum disease and infection can be life-threatening conditions and are commonly diagnosed and treated by dentists. After reviewing the types of dentists that can serve adults or children, a pediatric dentist or pediodontist is a type of dentist that mainly treats children. The biggest difference between a prosthodontist and a general dentist is that a prosthodontist deals with replacing teeth and restoring oral health and function throughout the mouth. Many patients opt for an Invisalign dentist and subsequent treatment, which uses a series of removable transparent trays that cover all teeth and progressively align the teeth until an ideal bite.

Throughout their careers, dentists must ensure they meet continuing education requirements. All practicing general dentists have earned a DDS or DMD degree (doctor of dental surgery or doctor of dental medicine, respectively). But do you always know what type of dentist you should see? To help you make decisions about specific dental concerns, here are the common types of dentists. .

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