If you have specific dental issues, you might be able to benefit from seeing a dental specialist. Visiting a general dentist may not be the best for you smile because they might not have the extra training and expertise that you need to address a more complex problem. Learn more about different types of dental specialties and experts that address them in this week’s blog post.
Types of Dental Specialists
Pediatric Dentist
A pediatric dentist specializes in taking care of the mouths of children. Kid’s mouths are ever evolving and developing, so they need special attention. In guiding children and teens through their dental growth and development, pediatric dentists often work closely with pediatricians, your family’s regular doctor, and other dental specialists that provide other services.
Endodontist
If you have a badly infected tooth, you’ll need to see a trained endodontist. They specialize in root canal therapy to save your natural teeth before they need to get extracted. This particular branch of dentistry is concerned with the human dental pulp that resides within your tooth and keeps your smile healthy. They also specialize in surrounding tissues, working to prevent and treat diseases and injuries of the pulp.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are actually orthopedic facial surgeons. They work to treat a wide variety of dental problems—including removing impacted wisdom teeth from below the smile and other tooth extractions to improve the health of your smile.
This dental specialty also includes the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects involving both functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, neck, and mouth.
Orthodontist
Orthodontists are specially trained dentists who specialize in the development, prevention, and correction of the alignment of your smile. This affects the jaw and arches of your teeth. Orthodontists also have specialized training in facial abnormalities and disorders of the jaw. Typically, you’ll discuss ways to straighten your teeth and improve your confidence with various types of orthodontics treatments.
Periodontist
Periodontists specialize in the health of your gum tissues. They’re responsible for the care and prevention of gum-related diseases, jaw bone degradation, and replacing teeth with dental implants to promote a healthy smile.
Prosthodontist
A dental prosthodontist specializes in the restoration and replacement of broken teeth with dental crowns, bridges, or even removable restorations like dentures. Prosthodontists specialize in the dynamics of the smile, preserving a healthy mouth, and creating tooth replacements for missing teeth. Plus, prosthodontists can help with post oral cancer mouth reconstruction, jaw problems like TMJ disorder, injuries to the mouth, and snoring and sleeping disorders.
If you have a complex dental issue, be sure to reach out to a dental professional that has the training and experience to effectively help you.
About Our Office
When you choose to visit MoreSMILES with Dr. Moreau, you can be confident in the personalized dental care that you’ll receive. Our Office isn’t too proud to reach out to specialists so that our patients can receive the necessary dental care their smiles really need. Call us today to schedule your next visit.