Understanding a Few Different Types of Dental Specialists
Posted on: 30 May 2017
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A family dentist can usually offer many types of needed dental services for anyone, including routine cleaning, x-rays, filling of cavities, examining the mouth for signs of cancer and other diseases, and the like. However, your family dentist may recommend you visit a dental specialist, or you may have problems with your mouth and teeth outside his or her area of expertise. Note a few different dental specialists and the types of dental problems they address so you can know what type of expert you may need and what services they can provide.
Endodontist
An endodontist is someone who specializes in root canals. If you're not familiar with this procedure, a root canal is performed when the pulp of the tooth—the tissue under and inside the enamel—is damaged, infected or needs treatment. An endodontist will remove drill into the tooth to remove this pulp or tissue, and then they will put an artificial cap over the root.
Orthodontist
Don't confuse an orthodontist with a cosmetic dentist; a cosmetic dentist is concerned with the appearance of the teeth, but an orthodontist will ensure teeth are aligned. This can keep the jaw bone from getting damaged and also protect the inside of your mouth from accidental bites and scrapes due to crooked or misaligned teeth. An adult may need orthodontics if their jaw line has changed over the years—for example, after having wisdom teeth removed or after an injury that caused the teeth to become misaligned.
Prosthodontist
A prosthodontist specializes in prosthetics, or artificial teeth. This may include dental implants, crowns, caps or removable prosthetics such as dentures. If you're missing a tooth or if a tooth needs to be pulled because of extreme decay or damage, a prosthodontist will be able to note your options for replacing that tooth or even all your teeth. A prosthodontist may also work with those who have suffered from oral cancer and need facial reconstruction, including the pulling of teeth.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons will work on any type of surgical procedure needed for the mouth and teeth, including removing teeth, reconstructing the jaw line after an accident or injury, or treating oral cancer. Defects in the jaw line or teeth or any part of the soft tissue may require actual surgery, and an oral surgeon may then refer you to a prosthodontist, mentioned above, to replace any teeth that were pulled or removed.