Most people are very familiar with which type of medical doctors they should see for different kind of problems: orthopedic surgeon for knees; dermatologist for skin; plastic surgeon for a facelift; cardiologist for heart; ophthalmologist for eyes; so on and so on.
But when it comes to dentistry, people often say ‘Go see a dentist!’ But what kind of dentist? I don’t blame people for not knowing the answer. After all, we are talking about just one part of the body, the teeth. The problem is very few people actually know what kind of dentist to see for their needs and even fewer know its specialties. It’s time to think about teeth in terms of what you want done to them and then seek the right dentist to do it:
Move Teeth…………………………………. ORTHODONTIST
Extract Teeth………………………………. ORAL SURGEON
Replace Teeth (Implants)……………… ORAL SURGEON
Root Canal Teeth…………………………. ENDODONTIST
Treat Baby Teeth…………………………. PEDIATRIC DENTIST
Treat Gum and Bone around Teeth… PERIODONTIST
Restore Teeth (crown, filling, etc.)…. RESTORATIVE DENTIST
And there are two types of restorative dentists:
- Advanced cosmetics, restorations, reconstruction…… PROSTHODONTIST
- Basic cosmetics and restorations…………………………… GENERAL DENTIST (Note: A small percentage of general dentists do have extensive education and training in more advanced cosmetic and restorative procedures and can provide optimum treatments)
And one final rule: See a general dentist for your basic dentistry needs but always seek specialists for your more specific dental problems. And if you run into a dentist who seems to do it all, keep running.