Everyone should have a family dentist. Regular dental visits allow for catching problems before they get in the advanced stages. They allow your dentist to check for problems that you may not see or feel. These checkups may reveal cavities, oral cancer, and gum disease.
You should also know that dentistry has a variety of specialities. Some offices, like the team at 9 West Main Dental, can handle various situations in addition to general dentistry. You can usually look at your dentist’s website to see what types of services they offer. Read on to find out what endodontists, prosthodontists, and periodontists are.
Save Your Teeth With Endodontists
An endodontist is a dentist with a speciality. This occupation requires an additional two or more years of training outside of dental school. The extra training focuses on performing root canal procedures, doing procedures on the tooth interior and diagnosing tooth pain.
When a cavity is left untreated, it eventually affects the centre of your tooth. The centre is known as the pulp of your tooth. It contains blood vessels and sensitive nerves. If the pulp disease is not treated, then it can spread to the supporting bone. This results in losing your teeth. (1)
However, you should treat a diseased tooth before it gets to complete tooth loss. A diseased tooth has a better chance of being saved with endodontic treatment. One of the most common procedures used is a root canal. It involves removing the diseased pulp, cleaning the pulp chamber, cleaning the root canal and sealing the tooth.
Your Teeth With Prosthodontists
A prosthodontist is a dentist who has completed three additional years of advanced training. You also have to complete an ADA-accredited prosthodontic graduate program. Prosthodontists are experts on anything that needs to be replaced on the inside of your mouth. These replacements include the gums, a single tooth, multiple teeth or all of your teeth.
Specialists in this field have advanced training in replacing and restoring teeth. They can fix facial and dental problems relating to jaw structures. If you have missing teeth, then the prosthodontics field performs a variety of procedures to replace them. These procedures include dentures, bridges, crowns, and dental implants. They are highly trained in cosmetic dentistry and treat temporomandibular disorders as well.
These specialists are also the leaders of your dental treatment plan. They work with health professionals, specialists and general dentists to develop dental solutions for patients.
Diagnose Disease With Periodontists
A periodontist is a dentist who has three additional years of advanced training in periodontal disease. Specialists in this field specialize in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of periodontal disease. They are also experts in the placement of dental implants and treating oral inflammation. (2)
You would see a periodontist for complex dental cases. A dental problem can become complicated with a complex medical history and with severe gum disease. A visit with this specialist involves examining your gums for recession, checking the bite and looking for loose teeth.
Periodontists perform a variety of procedures, such as root surface debridement and scaling and root planing. They stay updated on the latest technology for treating periodontal disease and performing cosmetic periodontal procedures.
This specialist treats severe cases of gum problems using surgical procedures. Soft tissue grafts are a procedure carried out in this field. It helps with replacing gum tissue that was lost from your gums receding. The replacement gum tissue comes from the root of your mouth. Periodontists also have advanced training in the maintenance, placement, and repair of dental implants.
If you ignore dental problems, then it allows the condition to spread and become more severe. You should never minimize the significance of gum disease. It has been linked to major health complications, such as stroke, pancreatic cancer, and heart disease. You should consider scheduling a dental appointment now.
Ana Miller is a creative writer. Her topics of interest and expertise range from psychology to all sorts of disciplines such as science and news.