Some Cosmetic Dentist Offices Employ Several Specialists

When choosing a new cosmetic dentist, you should consider a few things about the office in general. One detail that not every cosmetic dentist possesses is a staff of specialists who can help with certain tasks. Note that a regular dental practitioner typically performs cleanings and checkups, and can fill in cavities, while a cosmetic specialist tends to be better at whitening the teeth and putting in crowns and veneers. However, there are other jobs that often need to get done, and they are usually best completed by specialists, though regular dentists often do have the knowledge. It is just nice to have one person committed to a limited number of procedures since they tend to be very good at them. Therefore, before you choose a new dental office, find out whether they employ a few specialists.

Tooth extractions are rarely fun, but they are sometimes necessary. If you need wisdom teeth pulled, or just need to get rid of an overcrowding issue or decay problem, you might need this done, and the best person for the job is usually an oral surgeon. This specialist pulls the teeth of patients often, so you can expect them to have lots of experience, allowing you to be as comfortable as possible during the procedure. This is especially important if you have to have a few teeth pulled. Once your cosmetic dentist identifies the problem, you may get a referral to an oral surgeon, who can perform your treatment in a day.

Another type of practitioner to look for at your dental office is an endodontist, who tends to perform root canals. Many regular dentists prefer to contract the procedure out to experts who specialize in it, and an endodontist would be the best person for the job. You may hear lots of horror stories about root canals, but they are not usually bad if you have a professional completing yours. In many cases, the treatment is not painful, nor is the recovery, but you will likely be prescribed pain medication just in case. Therefore, you have nothing to fear if you face this treatment and are referred to a specialist.

If you have more issues with your gums than your teeth, then a periodontist may be your best bet. This practitioner deals with gum problems, so if yours are receding, swollen, or diseased, you will need to see this type of expert. Getting the condition treated right away is important if you want to stop the problem early and avoid long-term damage. Thus, it is nice to have a periodontist working in the dental office you choose so there is hardly any time between your check-up and your treatment.

Not all cosmetic dentists have these specialists in their office. Most might try to do the work themselves, even if they are not experienced. They may also offer referrals, but this still requires you to coordinate with another dental practitioner, which means you may have to wait weeks between appointments after your original diagnosis. Having access to a few specialists in the same building allows you to stick with the same staff and the same environment, which is helpful if you already like your regular practitioner.