The dentist or dentist is the professional who practices dentistry, so he has knowledge and has specialized in the study of teeth, the periodontium, the temporomandibular joint (articulation between the temporal bone and the jaw), the neuromuscular system and each of the parts that make up the mouth or oral cavity.
By way of summary, the dentist or dentist, diagnoses, prevents or heals, any problem we have in our mouth, head or neck. Although we recurrently only associate it with the teeth.
Within dentistry there are different specializations, that is why there are professionals who can focus on a particular area such as care in children (pediatric dentistry) or orthodontics (correction in the alignment of the teeth). However, any dentist can solve a general dental problem.
To have an idea about what specialties exist or which specialist to attend depending on the need or dental problem that we have.
Comprehensive or General Dentistry
The comprehensive or general dentistry for children and adults, is the basis of studies for dentists or dentists to diagnose and develop a treatment plan in relation to the dental health of a patient. The dentist or general dentist, performs treatments of all kinds and can refer to another specialist when there is a specific emergency or consider it necessary.
Pediatric Dentistry or Comprehensive Children’s Dentistry
He is the dentist specialized in the prevention and realization of dental procedures, generally, in children up to 14 years of age. The idea is that this type of professional knows how to properly treat a child, without causing traumas, to treat him differently; educate, correct bad habits, prevent the appearance of cavities and anticipate future dental health problems.
Orthodontics
The orthodontics, specializes in correcting the location of the teeth and jaws to solve problems or alterations of aesthetic or functional character in our face or mouth. We usually relate it to the use of dental plates. To go relating topics, we could say, by way of example, that a pediatric dentist can refer a child with problems in the location of their teeth to an orthodontist.
We must remember that with advances in dental care today, orthodontic treatments are applicable for both children and adults.
Endodontic
The endodontic, is the specialty that is responsible for solving a problem when a cavity, affecting a tooth has developed to a point where it is affecting the tissues of the tooth including the pulp of the tooth that lies within it. This is what we usually call “root canal”. Generally, we can notice it when we feel a strong pain in a tooth when we chew something or instantaneously without any cause.
Periodontics
The specialty of periodontics makes reference to a treatment of the professional specialist that diagnoses, prevents and heals the tissues that support our teeth. Which are: the gums, the bone and the periodontal ligament.
Some situations solved by the dentist or dentist specializing in periodontics is when some or all of these tissues have inflammations due to different reasons such as poor oral hygiene, poor brushing technique or accumulation of tartar on the teeth, which can cause the loss of teeth at an early age.
Oral Surgery and Maxillofacial Surgery
The dental surgery, in general, is made by surgical procedures from children to adults with low – invasive, ambulatory operations with good pain control, due to new technologies. Within some types of surgery we can mention some as treatments of infections, tooth extraction, trauma. So the maxillofacial surgery, specializes in affected areas such as jaw, skull, head, neck, oral cavity and teeth.
Implantology
For his part, the implantologist is the specialist in charge of replacing lost or missing dental pieces. The aim is to solve patient problems that can be from aesthetic to functional in the correct use of their teeth. To achieve these new dental pieces, integrated implants are usually used, which adapt well in the patient, achieving a better bite and good aesthetic results.