Family Dentist Vs. Specialist

A family dentist can be a valuable oral health care practitioner. Patients may be perfectly satisfied with this general doc for their entire life unless a change in their needs occur. There are situations that arise where an appointment with a specialist might be more beneficial.

The family DDS covers a broad range of preventative treatments, diagnostics and treatments. Some examples include routine cleanings, examinations, cavities filled and crowns. These general dentists see every age group within a clan, as well. Babies, elementary school aged kids, teens, mom and dad and the grandparents all have dental needs that can be addressed by a general dentist.

The training and education of dentists is long and grueling. After four years of undergraduate university studies, a future DDS will need to train for more several more years at a reputable dental college. To even get into these graduate programs, the application process is lengthy and arduous. Since the numbers of openings for students are sparse, competition to get in is rather stiff. A high grade-point-average, also known as a GPA, earned during one’s undergraduate years is one part of the entrance criteria that will be taken into account by the admission committee. Entrance exams and personal interviews will be carried out as well.

Once the green light of admission has been flashed, years of classroom academics and hands-on clinical practice working with patients must be completed. It is reportedly more expensive to educate a dentist than a doctor because the training clinics must be on-site facilities overseen and funded by the college. Medical schools train MDs in medicine and then turn the graduates over to hospitals for their internships and residencies. If an oral health care practitioner wants to specialize, more years of study will be necessary.

Typical dental specializations include orthodontia, a pediatric or cosmetic focus, oral surgery or endodontics. Orthodontists straighten teeth with metal braces, Invisalign or brightly colored bands. Pediatric dentists work with tots from infancy through adolescence. Even babies need to have their emerging pearly whites tended to in order to start them off on a life of good health habits.

Cosmetic dentists focus on beautifying smiles. Yellowed enamel can be bleached via strips, gels or liquids and brightened into white. Jagged snaggletooth grins can be smoothed out with porcelain veneers or caps. Oral surgeons perform various surgeries including wisdom teeth extractions and more. Endodontics is the specialization regarding diagnostics and treatments on the root structures beneath the gums. There is a complex system of arteries, tissue and nerves that lie beneath the surface of the gum and tooth. The exposed enamel that is visible is kept firmly in place by these complex and crucial unseen support networks.

While the expertise of a family dentist covers a broad range of dental issues, this may not be of an adequate depth for certain situations. A specialist may have extreme depth of knowledge, but this won’t be appropriate for every circumstance. It may be wise to have both types of practitioners available at different time periods in order to fit all circumstances.