There are so many specialists for oral care nowadays. If you want to improve the health of your teeth and gums, then this is a good thing. However, all these specialists can be confusing if you don’t know much about dentistry yet. Here are some frequently used dental procedures so that you have an idea what they do.
General Dentistry
A general dentists does cleanings and x-ray exams, crowns, bridges, fillings, dental implants, aligners, veneers, and dentures.
A periodontist specializes in treating gum disease, implant surgery, and bone grafting. An endodontist treats your teeth’s pulp which contains nerve endings with root canal therapy or a crown if necessary to save it. They also do tooth extractions when total removal is required.
An orthodontist does braces and other tools to align teeth. A pediatric dentist helps children get into good dental habits and works to prevent problems before they start. They diagnose issues like thumb sucking or baby bottle tooth decay, prescribe fluoride treatments, and teach parents what to do at home for their teeth.
Specialists
A prosthodontist focuses on restoring your smile’s function and beauty with crowns, bridges, dentures, implants or any other type of cosmetic surgery you need.
Bonding is done when you have discolored teeth and want to change the color. It’s done by applying a tooth-colored resin material directly onto your teeth and then sculpting it into different shapes with high dental heat until it hardens like porcelain.
Teeth bleaching is used to make your teeth look whiter than they are naturally. A chemical solution or gel containing hydrogen peroxide may be applied, which helps whiten them over time. It’s usually an hour for each session depending on strength of treatment and results you desire.
Dentures can replace one or more missing natural teeth due to injury, disease, aging or other reasons and help restore form and function back to your smile. Dentures work just as well as real healthy teeth but need extra care.
Dental implants may be necessary when your teeth are missing or have been removed due to injury, illness, gum disease or aging. They can look and feel just like natural teeth for a more permanent solution than other tooth replacement options.
Fractures to the mouth area can cause pain while chewing and talking so it’s important that you seek treatment right away if this happens. The initial step is usually applying ice packs several times per day until swelling goes down before determining whether an X-ray should be done among other things depending on severity of fracture. If needed, surgery will then be performed which may include stitching up tissues together in addition to aligning bones back into their proper place with plates and screws along with splints as necessary afterwards.
Veneers
Veneers are usually ceramic and are used for cosmetic purposes instead of reconstructive. They may be used to cover instances where there is not enough tooth structure remaining or as a means to close gaps between teeth that can make one appear older than they really are among other things so this step should only be done after consulting with your dentist.
Inlays and onlays also exist but these typically refer more to the materials being used rather than what exactly is being done which includes using gold, porcelain, etc., for reconstruction purposes in addition to keeping them from getting stained. Fillings vary depending on location(s) involved such as if it’s an upper back molar versus lower front incisor but all aim at either removing or filling out decayed areas then placing sealant over
Bridges are used to replace missing teeth and keep the surrounding teeth from shifting. There are typically three types of bridges: fixed, cantilever and resin-bonded which all require a replacement tooth to be cut down or removed in order to attach it on either side.
Preventing cavities near gum lines is often done by applying fluoride varnish such as this one after cleaning but before checking for any stains then removing them if necessary with another dabbing motion or cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide that can’t be rubbed off afterward.
Crowns serve several purposes including protecting damaged teeth and bringing back their appearance while also covering up micro gaps left behind by root canal treatment(s) when an infection has been successfully stopped though not always cured .
Sealants are sometimes used to protect teeth from decay by filling in any grooves or crevices on the chewing surfaces.
Not all dental procedures are necessary but some can be performed to prevent problems before they start such as a cleaning and checkup every six months starting at around age two while children under ten often get fluoride varnish applied for an hour twice each year during separate visits that take place less than two weeks apart.
In addition, x-rays may also be taken especially when certain tooth pain is experienced which could mean there’s more going on with cavities underneath the surface of enamel . In these situations it might make sense to have a root canal treatment(s) if deemed necessary by your dentist or periodontist.
Finally, root canals are also needed for teeth with severely decayed or broken down roots. This is probably the most common and widely known dental procedure.