Types of Dentists – What’s the Difference?

Oral health care providers specialize in all types of fields, and all those titles and abbreviations can be understandably confusing. Below is a simple, easy-to-understand reference guide for the many types of dental professionals.

 

 

General Dentist

Your primary care provider for your basic dental needs. General dentists diagnose and treat patients’ overall dental health.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Gum care
  • Root canals
  • Fillings
  • Crowns & bridges
  • Dental veneers
  • Preventive care

Orthodontist

A dentist that specializes in braces and other dental appliances. Orthodontists diagnose, prevent and treat misalignment of teeth and the surrounding structures.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Installation of braces, bands, wires and other tools to straighten teeth
  • Treating crowded, missing, misaligned or extra teeth
  • Correcting misaligned jaws

Cosmetic Dentist

A cosmetic dentist specializes in improving patients’ appearance and self-esteem through restorative treatments and operations.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Dental veneers
  • Bonding
  • Teeth whitening
  • Fillings
  • Crowns, onlays and inlays
  • Implants and bridges

Endodontist

A dental specialist that diagnoses, prevents and treats diseases and injuries of the inner tooth tissue and nerves in teeth.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Root canals
  • Other types of surgical procedures dealing with the inner tooth pulp

Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist

A dental radiologist specializes in taking and analyzing X-ray images of the mouth, face and jaw area. Radiologists help diagnose and identify issues in the face region.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • MRI scan
  • PET scan
  • Ultrasound scan
  • Cone beam CT
  • Multislice CT

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Dental specialist that performs surgery in and around the face, mouth and jaw.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Reconstructive surgery
  • Dental implants
  • Tumor and cyst treatment of the face
  • Tooth extractions
  • Biopsies
  • Jaw realignment
  • Fractured cheek or jaw bone repair
  • Soft tissue repair

Oral Medicine

Specialty of dentistry that focuses on patients with complicated medical situations. Oral medicine involves an integration of oral health care and diagnosing and treating various diseases.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Diagnosis and management of oral diseases:
    • Periodontal gum disease
    • Oral cancer
    • Oral infectious diseases
  • Assesses complex medical patients before open-heart surgery or cancer therapy

Oral Pathologist

An oral pathologist studies the root causes of diseases that harm the teeth, lips, cheeks, jaws and areas around the face and neck.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Diagnosis of biopsies or tissue samples sent by other dental providers

Pediatric Dentist/Pedodontist

Pediatric dentists specialize in caring for children’s oral health. They are experienced in working with teeth that are still developing and are trained in meeting the needs of children.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Dental cleaning
  • Tooth colored fillings
  • Crowns
  • Cavities
  • Extractions

Periodontist

Periodontists diagnose, prevent and treat oral tissue diseases. That includes the gums and the supporting bones of natural and manmade teeth.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Treats gingivitis, also known as periodontitis
  • Deep pocket cleanings
  • Root planning
  • Crowns
  • Soft tissue and bone grafting
  • Gingival procedures
  • Recontouring
  • Implants

Prosthodontist

Prosthodontists repair natural teeth and replace lost teeth to a greater degree than a general dentist.

Common Procedures & Treatments

  • Dentures
  • Caps
  • Crowns and bridges
  • Implants

Difference Between a DDS and a DMD

DDS is a degree that bestows the title of “Doctor of Dental Surgery”. DMD is a degree that grants the title of “Doctor of Dental Medicine”.

There is no practical difference between the two titles. Both DMD and DDS signify that the doctor in question graduated from an accredited dental school. They share the same course requirements. The only determining factor of whether a Dr. is a DMD or a DDS is which university he or she attended.

Dentist Education

To become a General Dentist and obtain a degree from an accredited dental school typically requires 3+ years in undergraduate school plus 4 years of graduate school. To become a specialist, additional years of post-graduate education are required.

In order to maintain their license, dentists must stay up to date with the latest dental advancements through continuing education programs.

To learn more about the different types of dentists, contact us today.