You may or may not know there are lots of unique kinds of dentists who care for the public’s dental health. Dentists are highly trained medical providers who specialize in treating your mouth and teeth.

Oral health is vital to your general health, and our oral health may contribute to different diseases and ailments including endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy, and birth complications, and pneumonia if not well-maintained.

General Dentists

General Dentists provide regular teeth cleanings and regular dental exams. Your general dentist may also refer you to other kinds of dentists if you want procedures and services which they’re not qualified to supply. General dentistry is one of the most frequent kinds of dentistry. For example, you can get fillings with the general dentist in Concord.

Periodontist

Periodontists specialize in the prevention, identification, and treatment of gum diseases and the surrounding tissues of teeth. They also maintain the health, aesthetics, and function of those structures and tissues. The most frequent disease periodontists cure is periodontal disease (also called PD or periodontitis — an innovative form of gingivitis).

PD is a serious gum infection that severely damages a patient’s teeth and jawbone. Periodontists are specialists who provide professional dentist services, in the placement of dental implants, also called artificial tooth roots. Implants replace lost or extracted natural teeth because of periodontal disease, injury, or tooth decay.

Endodontist

An endodontist is also called a root canal specialist. They treat the ill, dead, inflamed, or infected nerve of a tooth which may cause excruciating pain. The interior of every tooth has living blood cells and vessels called the pulp.

If a cavity, a fracture, or injury affects the pulp, the nerve dies and becomes infected and can lead to inflammation and pressure in the tissue and bone supporting the tooth.

Occasionally patients will present with a swollen area and pus will drain from around the root. Once an endodontist performs a root canal therapy they will drill a small access hole to the surface of the tooth, remove the infected tissue, clean and shape the canals using little forming documents and place a rubber substance called gutta-percha to the canal to seal it from any additional germs invading the space.

Usually, this will instantly remove all of the pain in the region and with the support of antibiotics, the tooth will often feel better very soon.

Orthodontist

An orthodontist previously only did braces on children and adults to straighten their teeth. Now the field consists of dentofacial orthopedics also. The objective of these two modalities is to fix a bad bite or a malocclusion.

The sting is how the upper and lower set of teeth come together. The teeth are ideally made to bite at the front and chew in the trunk and are shaped with that purpose in mind. If the bite relationship isn’t set up correctly, the tooth structure can wear out the wrong way or even break.

Jaw and throat problems such as TMD (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction) or TMJ (temporomandibular joint) may also occur. Bad bites can be due to irregular jaw development patterns, crowded or misaligned teeth, or bad habits.

Luckily, orthodontists now have many ways to fix these bad bites, such as appliances that kids can wear to change the growth patterns in their jaws into a more perfect position.

Prosthodontists

Prosthodontists fix teeth and jawbones. They supply cosmetic dentistry or remedies to improve the appearance of teeth, like teeth whitening and veneers. They also match people with dentures, crowns, and bridges. Similar to general dentists, prosthodontists also restore teeth with artificial materials.

The substances mirror the shape, appearance, and function of natural teeth. Although, prosthodontists are specialists in restorative dentistry. They spend more time repairing and replacing teeth than non-specialized dentists.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are board-certified dental specialists. They perform invasive and minor processes within the maxillofacial region (mouth, face, and jaw). Cosmetic surgeons typically work full-time at local private clinics and hospitals.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery also called oral surgery and sometimes dentoalveolar surgery ranges from simple tooth extractions to surgical procedures related to the teeth, soft tissues, and jaws. “Maxillofacial” refers to the chin and face, while”oral” refers to the mouth.

Pedodontist

A pediatric dentist or periodontist is a type of dentist who treats mainly children. As anyone who has children knows, children normally have increased stress when visiting any sort of dentist and need a little additional care. Some general dentists don’t see kids in their workplace and will refer to a pedodontist.

They treat children in their own office for regular cleanings, x-rays, white fillings, and extractions. When they visit a child with special needs and can’t be treated at a general dentist’s office, they’ll refer them to the pedodontist. The child can be somewhat sedated and the job will be completed safely there.

What Type of Dentist do You Require?

Your dentist or doctor will refer you for any sort of dentistry they are not qualified to provide.

It is very important to see your general dentist at least once a year — not only for teeth cleaning but for an examination that guarantees your oral health. Receiving a professional opinion can allow you to manage any possible problems before they become significant. See your general dentist at once if you’re experiencing some pain in your mouth.