Dentists and Dental Care

Dentistry is a branch of biomedical science addressing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions, diseases, and disorders of the teeth, gums, jaws, oral cavity, and adjacent structures.

In most of the world, 4 years of undergraduate study and 4 years in a doctoral program are required to become a dentist. In the United States, a dentist is qualified to practice after graduating with a doctor of dental surgery or doctor of dental medicine degree. There are 56 dental schools in the United States and 10 in Canada.

The majority of practitioners are general dentists, who examine the oral cavity and diagnose and treat diseases, decay, and injuries within it. The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes nine branches of dental specialization: (1) endo-dontics, which is root canal therapy, or removing the nerves of teeth; (2) oral and maxillofacial pathology, the detection and diagnosis of diseases [Page 289]in the oral cavity; (3) oral and maxillofacial radiology, the radiologic interpretation of oral disease; (4) oral surgery, the treatment of oral diseases and abnormalities via surgery; (5) orthodontics, the treatment of abnormalities in tooth position and jaw relationships; (6) pedodontics, the provision of oral care to children; (7) periodontics, the treatment of gum disease; (8) prosthodontics, the creation of artificial teeth and other dental appliances; and (9) public health dentistry, the science of promoting dental health through organized public efforts.

There are other specialties as well, such as general-practice residency (hospital training), cosmetic dentistry, and geriatric dentistry (dental care for older adults).

Dentists often work with dental auxiliaries, including dental assistants (who pass instruments and retract tissues), dental hygienists (who specialize in preventive care, such as cleaning and scaling), and dental technicians (who fabricate dental appliances).

This entry briefly describes the historical development of dental treatment and then discusses the current problems for dentistry and the emerging trends and challenges that dentistry faces.