Nowadays, there is a wide variety of different disciplines or specialities in dentistry that can be found in a dental clinic in Barcelona. Depending on the problem presented by the patient, your dentist can refer you to another dentist who is an expert in that area and can treat you in the best way.
Some specialities in dentistry that exist are the following: general dentist, endodontist, periodontist, pediatric dentist, oral surgeon, orthodontist and prosthodontist.
Types of specialties in dentistry
- General dentist:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry have a great responsibility, as they can often be the first to see the patient, so they must make a correct diagnosis and treatment plan.
They perform many treatments, from treating cavities, placing crowns or inlays, etc., but if they come across any treatment or problem that they are not going to be able to solve, they will most likely refer their patient to a specialist so that they finish making a correct diagnosis and treatment plan.
- Endodontist:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry are in charge of solving problems that are related to the dental pulp and nerve. The best known treatment in this specialty is endodontics, which consists of removing the dental pulp (where the nerve of the tooth is located) and filling it with a material that is biocompatible with the tooth.
Patients usually go to this dentist when they have sensitivity problems, especially to cold and heat, after trauma, as the nerve can often be affected. In some cases, they also perform surgery (apical microsurgery/apicectomy) in order to save the tooth.
- Orthodontist:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry resolve malocclusion that a patient may have, that is, when the teeth are not aligned and because of this there is some problem in the way the teeth close and eat.
The aim of these is to prevent, diagnose and treat the anomalies that are present in the teeth and in the maxilla and mandible. They can also perform treatments simply for the aesthetics of the patient. The most common treatments in this specialty are braces and increasingly invisalign or invisible orthodontics with aligners.
- Pediatric dentistry:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry are responsible for treating children, as they have superior knowledge of child behavior and management. This specialty treats children from newborns to adolescence.
These dentists are able to perform many treatments, but they always keep in mind that the patient is a child, so they will not treat them in the same way as an adult. They have a very important role, as, with the help of parents, they must teach children how to have a correct oral hygiene which they will then go on to improve throughout their lives.
- Periodontist:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry focus on treating and caring for the supporting structure of the teeth. This structure is based on the gum, the periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone, which are responsible for keeping the teeth in the mouth. The pathologies most commonly seen by patients in this specialty are gingivitis and periodontitis, but also mucositis and peri-implantitis.
These dentists diagnose and treat gum disease around teeth and implants, promote the maintenance of oral health and even perform surgery to save teeth with bone and gum grafts. They are also one of the specialists in placing dental implants and keeping them healthy.
- Prosthodontist:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry are responsible for replacing missing teeth or restoring teeth that have fallen into disrepair. Replacing teeth is something essential in order to have a correct function of the oral cavity and for this they can use bridges, crowns, fixed prostheses, removable prostheses, prostheses on implants, etc.
- Oral surgeon:
Dentists with this type of specialty in dentistry are in charge of treating diseases of the hard tissues, most of the time by means of surgery. These experts carry out a wide variety of treatments, such as the extraction of third molars, teeth, bone regeneration in order to be able to place implants. What often happens is that when a treatment is carried out, the patient needs another type of treatment, but from another specialty, for example there are cases of orthodontics where surgery is necessary. That is why it is important to have in the dental clinic different dentists who are trained in different specialties in dentistry to be able to treat the patient in the best way and offer the greatest possible comfort. This is the philosophy and objective of Nart Clínica Dental Barcelona.
