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| Dental
specialization |
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What is a general dentist (DDS or DMD)?
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| Upon
graduation from dental school -- to become a general dentist --
a dentist is awarded either a DDS or a DMD degree:
DDS = doctor of dental surgery
DMD
= doctor of dental medicine
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| There
is no difference between the two degrees -- both dentists have received
the same education and completed the same curriculum requirements
set by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation.
The difference is merely semantics -- some institutions award a
DMD degree, while others award a DDS degree. Generally, three or
more years of undergraduate college education plus four years of
dental school is required to graduate and become a general dentist.
State licensing boards accept either degree as equivalent, and both
degrees allow licensed individuals to practice the same scope of
general dentistry. |
Specialized Areas of Dentistry
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| Additional
post-graduate training is required to become a dental specialist.
Dental/oral health specialists include the following:
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Pediatric Dentist :
A pediatric
dentist is a specialist in the field of dentistry -- dealing particularly
with the oral health care of children, from infancy through the
teenage years. In guiding children and teens through their dental
growth and development, pediatric dentists often work closely with
pediatricians, family physicians, and other dental specialists in
providing comprehensive medical and dental care. |
Endodontist
:
Also called
pulp specialists, endodontists have undergone specialized training
in performing root canal therapy. This particular branch of dentistry
is concerned with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the
human dental pulp (the soft tissue area between the tooth's outer
enamel and the dentin) and periradicular tissues -- including the
prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the pulp and
associated periradicular conditions. |
Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgeon :
Oral and
maxillofacial surgeons are actually orthopaedic facial surgeons
responsible for treating a wide variety of dental problems -- including
the removal of impacted teeth and reconstructive facial surgery.
This dental specialty also includes the diagnosis and treatment
of diseases, injuries, and defects involving both functional and
esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial
region. |
Orthodontist
:
Periodontists
are responsible for the care and prevention of gum-related diseases,
guided bone regeneration, and dental implants. It is the specialty
of dentistry that includes the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth
or their substitutes, and the maintenance of the health, function,
and esthetics of these structures and tissues.
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Periodontist
:
Periodontists
are responsible for the care and prevention of gum-related diseases,
guided bone regeneration, and dental implants. It is the specialty
of dentistry that includes the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth
or their substitutes, and the maintenance of the health, function,
and esthetics of these structures and tissues. |
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Prosthodontist
:
Prosthodontists
are dental specialists who have undergone additional training and
certification in the restoration and replacement of broken teeth
with crowns, bridges, or removable prosthetics (dentures). It is
the branch of dentistry that also specializes in understanding the
dynamics of the smile, preserving a healthy mouth, and creating
tooth replacements. Prosthodontists often work closely with other
members of the oral health care team in restoring natural teeth,
replacing missing teeth, and/or developing artificial substitutes
for damaged oral and maxillofacial tissues. In addition, prosthodontists
also have specialized training in the following:
* post oral cancer reconstruction
*jaw joint problems (i.e., temporomandibular joint disorder)
*traumatic injuries of the mouth
*snoring and sleeping disorders . |
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