Oral health is very important to your overall health and you need to protect it. Dentistry is the diagnosis and treatment of teeth and gums, mouth and jaw, and related disorders and diseases. In addition, it is the early diagnosis of diseases that start or show symptoms in the mouth. The center where this type of treatment is applied is called the dental clinic and it aims to completely heal your mouth.
Although Dentistry deals with dental and oral health in general, it is divided into sections within itself. The only difference between these separated sections is the types of treatment applied. Types of treatment used by dentists include:
- General dentistry
- Cosmetic dentistry
- Pediatric dentistry
- Orthodontist
Depending on the problem in your tooth and the procedure you want to have, you can be examined for one of these types.
What is general dentistry?
General dentistry is the most common dentistry. In fact, General dentists are able to diagnose and recognize dental disease in the patient’s mouth in its early stages and treat it before the disease progresses too far. Oral hygiene, which will prevent future diseases, helps with home care regimen.
The general dentist can give you detailed instructions to improve your oral hygiene at home and, if necessary, recommend preventative treatments such as sealant. The most commonly applied cavity filling involves removing dental caries and placing a filling on the affected tooth.
However, this is not the only procedure that general dentists provide. They offer you treatment when you need emergency treatment for dental trauma. General dentists can diagnose and treat the causes of toothache or gum disease.
What is pediatric dentistry?
Pediatric dentistry is one of the specialties of dentistry. It includes all areas of general dentistry that can be applied to children. However, it also includes many procedures related to the unique needs of milk teeth.
The key difference between pediatric and general dentistry is that pediatric dentists ensure that children have pain-free experiences. Traumatic dental treatment in childhood can negatively affect children and lead to their lifelong rejection of dental care.
Especially for family dental care, you should choose a very good pediatric dentist for your children.
What is emergency dentistry?
It means that you need urgent dental care and get treatment for your unbearable toothache that starts suddenly at night or when your tooth comes out. Emergency dentist provides you comfort by providing the treatment of your damaged tooth as much as possible.
Emergency dental services are provided in every hospital or clinic, often 24 hours a day or until 3 a.m. Dental care should not be taken lightly and regular check-ups should be made.
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Today’s dentist doesn’t just treat teeth to keep them healthy. The field of Dentistry medicine has increasingly begun to include Aesthetics & Plastics treatment modalities. Cosmetic dentistry can help you if you are not satisfied with your smile. Cosmetic dentistry includes:
- Addition of dental material to teeth or gums, porcelain veneers
- Treating tooth structure or gums
- Deep cleaning teeth
- Correction of teeth along with improvements in facial appearance
The person who wants to have aesthetic dentistry surgery must be at least 18 years old. In this way, it is ensured that the jaw development is completed. Aesthetic dentistry operations are shaped according to the needs and wishes of the person.
Depending on the process you go through, it can be a process that takes several months. Here, the operation stages and after are planned with the models prepared according to your teeth and special programs on the computer.
How much is cosmetic dentistry?
Although it varies according to the procedure, it generally varies between $1000-$7000 in the USA. If you are in search of more affordable dental care, you can search other countries instead of the country you are in, and you can get treatment in another country, if it is more affordable, through medical tourism.
Compared with European countries, the first 3 countries with the cheapest are Turkey, India and Mexico.
What is DSD in dentistry?
DSD (digital smile design) is based on a comprehensive analysis of the patient’s tooth and face ratios. Using videos and photographs, the patient’s smile is created based on the relationship between the lips, gums and teeth. Then, with the approval of the patient, the most appropriate smile is designed. At this stage, various methods such as tooth filling and dental implants are used.
What is sedation dentistry?
It is a procedure in which medication is used to relieve the patient before or during a long dental procedure. Dentists also call sedation dentistry as sleep dentistry. The dentist must have extensive sedation dentistry experience to perform such procedures.
Sedation dentistry uses a variety of techniques:
- Minimal sedation – the patient is awake but does not feel any pain.
- Moderate sedation – the patient is somewhat unconscious and may speak in a vague tone.
- Deep sedation – the patient is asleep, but can still be awakened.
- General anesthesia – the patient is completely unconscious. This method is generally used for dental surgery.
This method is generally preferred for adults, and very small doses are rarely used for children.
What is filling in dentistry?
Filling, or dental filling with its full name, is applied to facilitate chewing and to prevent further damage, decay and loss of the tooth. It provides great comfort to the patient by being applied on the cavity in the tooth that is cleaned with special materials.
Dental filling, which is a long-term dental solution, can remain intact for 5 years. Types of dental fillings include:
- gold fillings
- Composite fillings
- porcelain fillings
- amalgam fillings
After the filling is completed, the patient is asked to open and close the mouth and move it. In this way, a protrusion or excess in the filling that will disturb the patient is prevented. With this final stage, the filling application is completed and the tooth regains its former functions.
If the decay in the tooth has begun to affect the nerves, a root canal treatment operation is performed in addition to the filling. Thanks to this operation, the channels of the tooth are cleaned and made healthy again.
What is abutment in dentistry?
It is a part used during dental implant treatment. After the patient is implanted and healed, the abutment piece is placed and a new tooth is placed on it. The abutment acts as a kind of bridge in between. These procedures fall within the field of advanced dentistry because they are more complex than a tooth filling.
Are dentist open on weekends?
The opening hours of the dentists may vary according to the dental office. If you need emergency dental services or advanced dental care, there are places open on weekends.
Are dentist open on Sundays?
Many dental centers have at least one dentist on Sundays in case of an emergency. In addition, private hospitals can also have a dentist on Sundays.
Why is dentistry so expensive?
The main reason why dentistry is expensive is the high prices of the materials used. If you want to get your dental treatment more conveniently, you must have a medical insurance. Thanks to an insurance such as Aetnadental, medicare dental, you can get more affordable denture, cheap dental filling and care.
Are dentists board certificed?
Board certification is the result of mastery of knowledge and skills in a particular field of dentistry. Dentists, doctors, and other health practitioners may be board certified. This can be accomplished through oral, written, practical and other testing methods. Those who do not receive specialization are considered as dental assisting.
Board certification is considered a major achievement for dentists. Board certification means:
- Being skilled and knowledgeable in the field
- Become an expert in their chosen field of specialization
- To meet high standards
When did dentistry become a profession?
If we talk a little about the history of dentistry, with the Indus Valley Civilization BC. It dates back to 7000 years. Later Sumerian text described tooth worms causing tooth decay, and this was considered true until the 1700s.
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about dentistry, especially about the treatment of decaying teeth. By the 1700s, dentistry had become a more defined profession.
In 1723, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard, recognized as the Father of Modern Dentistry, first published a book describing a comprehensive system for the care and treatment of teeth. Moreover, he first introduced the idea of dental fillings and the use of dentures, and found that acids from sugar cause tooth decay.
In 1840, the first college of dentistry (Baltimore College of Dental Surgery) opened, and nearly 20 years later the American Dental Association (ADA) was formed. The Harvard University School of Dentistry, the first university-affiliated dental institution, was founded in 1867.
In 1873, Colgate mass-produced the first toothpaste, followed a few years later by mass-produced toothbrushes. Today, it has become one of the most demanded healthcare areas.
When is dentistry separate from medicine?
Although both are departments working for human health, they receive education in different schools for different durations. This distinction was first introduced in chapters 18-19. It started with the exclusion of dentistry in some medical schools established in America between the 19th and 16th centuries. Later, all medicine gradually separated from dentistry and took its final form today.
When did dentistry become privatised?
Dentists, which were taken to the public by the NHS in 1948, became privatized over time and took their present form. Although they still work for the state in some countries, they are largely privatized.
Is dentistry considered medical?
Although both are concerned with health, there is a great difference between them and so they are not considered fully medical. These differences are:
- Dentistry is a specialty (medicine is all about the body, whereas dentistry focuses only on the teeth and jaw.)
- Rather than doctors, every treatment is not for healing, but mostly for aesthetic appearance. (For example dental cleaning and dental plague)
- Their training takes place in different ways.
Why is dentistry important?
There are multiple reasons that make Dentistry important:
- Oral health also affects your overall health. Your mouth can pre-warn you of other illnesses in your body by showing signs of infection or illness before other symptoms are experienced.
- Although you can brush your teeth at home, you cannot do a real cleaning yourself. For this you need to go to teeth whitening dentist.
You can’t stop every toothache with painkillers, so seeing a dental specialist offers you a permanent solution.
In the light of all this information, dentistry is one of the most important health areas that should be considered for our health, although it is not considered common with medical education.
Thanks to dentists and dedicated professionals, problems in teeth, gums, lips, palate and tongue are overcome and the quality of life of patients is increased.
Dentistry is a medical specialty that treats, prevents and studies typical diseases of the oral cavity, such as caries and gingivitis.
