So dentistry what is it? Is it just about the part of your body that helps you to
chew up favorite foods, say cheese, and look great in pictures? No it is much
more than that. This video should explain what it is, so sit back, relax, and don't
worry you don't have to say ahhhh. Google explains it a the study, diagnosis, prevention,
and treatment of diseases and disorders within the mouth jaw and craniofacial area.
Wow! Okay so what do dentists do. Dentists spend their time helping other people
from relieving the pain from a toothache, to significantly improving people's lives
by restoring their smile, teeth, self-confidence, and ability to eat and
speak properly. Now let's look at the different types of
dentists, yes there's more than one. A qualified dentist can work in a dental
practice known as primary care, you've most likely already met them, you know
the ones you see every six months or so. They see on average 90% of all patients
requiring dental treatment. They make sure everything is healthy, deal with the
day-to-day problems that a patient may be facing and provide treatment like
fillings, root canals, crowns, bridges, implants, and simple cosmetic procedures.
So what's so scary about that? In some cases, patients have more complex issues
and referred to a specialist dentist. These dentists often work in a secondary
care setting such as a hospital. Many diseases of the body actually have early
signs in the mouth so referrals but these cases are a must.
Diabetes, heart disease, your dentist may know before you do. Bad breath and
beading gums could be indicators of diabetes and a saw and painful jaw could
foreshadow an oncoming heart attack and you thought dentists only look for
gum disease and cavities. So what about the specialist dentists ... brace yourself
it's the orthodontist they look at how your teeth bite together. Sometimes teeth
can come through at different angles in the wrong places or may not bite
together correctly. Here, orthodontists take impressions of
your teeth and use really cool digital technology to move teeth safely
into line, with the aid of braces, to give you that beautiful smile you've dreamt of.
Thought that impressed you? Did you know
the shape memory metals that are used for orthodontic wise and braces was
developed by NASA for their space program. Now that's cool.. up next
periodontist they look closely at the gums and underlying bone which surround the teeth.
Sometimes patients can have severe forms of gum disease which start to
affect the jaw bone and this is where the periodontist comes in. Without them
people with gum disease can lose the bone around their teeth allowing their
teeth to fall out one by one now, that's scary. So we know in general dentists can
do simple root canal treatments. But what about the complicated cases ....
Meet the endodontist they save teeth, sometimes infections can get right into
the tiny nerves and blood vessels within the tooth, causing severe pain. Now this can't
be fixed with antibiotics, these guys use cutting-edge technologies and their
skills on a microscopic level to remove the nerve and blood vessels from within the tooth
and then seal it to protect and save the tooth
amazing right? And what about
those pesky teeth that hide in the gums at the back of your mouth, they usually
appear when you're older, more mature and yes wiser.
The wisdom teeth, sometimes you
may need to visit an oral surgeon to get them removed, these dentists are
specialists and surgical treatment of the teeth and jaw. People with conditions
such as cysts and tumors in their jaws or soft tissues will also typically see
an oral surgeon. Finally, maxillofacial surgeons
Maxfax for short, are specialists in surgically treating the face, head, and neck. They are
dually qualified in both dentistry and medicine and typically manage serious
conditions of the head and neck, including severe trauma from car
accidents to cancers or even infections and deformities.
See dentistry is far from just teeth, there is a huge spectrum of choices
within the dental field, there is so much you could be doing, from detecting early
signs of cancer through to research and super materials that could be used in
the dental industry.
Best of luck!