Dental Specialties
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon is an orthopedic surgeon focused exclusively on the facial region, dealing with a range of issues including:
- Removal of impacted teeth
- Jaw joint repaired with TMJ surgery
- Jaw alignment or orthognathic surgery
- Realigning of facial bones following facial trauma, such as a car accident
- Replacing teeth with dental implants
- Have a tooth extracted
- Repair of facial trauma
- Diagnoses and removal of facial, oral of jaw cysts
- Facial and jaw reconstruction
Periodontist
Periodontics is a specialty of dentistry concerned with diagnosing then treating gum disease and the placement of dental implants. A dentist will recommend seeing a Periodontist when a patient’s gums are in need of a specialist’s help due to disease, cosmetics or implant placement. Together, working as team, the dentist and periodontist will combine to decide on the most effective treatment option to provide the highest level of care.
Prosthodontist
Prosthodontists specialize in replacement of missing teeth and the restoration of teeth. They are at the forefront of dental implantology and concentrate on preserving a healthy mouth, creating tooth replacements and dynamic smiles.
Endodontist
Endodontists specialize in issues concerning the inside of the tooth. When the inside of the tooth is infected or inflamed an endodontist may perform a root canal procedure, often referred to as endodontic treatment.
Pediatric Dentist
A pediatric dentist is required to take at least 2 additional years of schooling following dental school. The additional training includes the study of child behavior, unique requirements of children’s dentistry and children’s physical growth and development. A pediatric dental office is focused on the treatment of children – this includes the staff, office atmosphere and furnishings.. all is designed to put a child at ease.
Orthodontist
An orthodontist uses braces, retainers and other devices to straighten a patient’s teeth and correct jaw miss-alignment.
The majority of bad bites are inherited. Genetic problems include protrusion, crowding, spacing, extra or missing teeth and jaw growth problems.
Other bite problems develop over time due to thumb sucking, loss of primary or permanent teeth, an accident, etc.