What specialities are there in dentistry?
Knowing each of the specialties in dentistry or stomatology is very important when we need some attention in our oral health.
In this post we will explain superficially what each of the disciplines in dentistry are and what pathologies they treat.
Interdisciplinary dentistry
Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary dentistry has been a trend in recent years due to the need to incorporate a multifunctional dentist into a medical team.
The multidisciplinary dentist, despite not having a speciality, has the necessary knowledge of various fields of dentistry, ranging from periodontics, prosthodontics, in some cases endodontics or orthodontics.
Due to their broad specialisation in various disciplines of dentistry, they are a useful figure who can cooperate and collaborate with the clinic’s specialists, providing good support both clinically and diagnostically.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a speciality of dentistry dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and surgical intervention of pathologies of the oral cavity.
It is the oldest speciality in dentistry.
The most frequent interventions in this discipline are
- Extraction of wisdom teeth.
- Braces surgery.
- Extraction of included or impacted teeth.
- Surgery for dental prostheses.
Restorative dentistry
The restorative or conservative speciality prevents, stops and cures dental caries in all its stages.
SPECIALITY THAT TREATS DENTAL CARIES
Tooth decay can mildly affect the tooth structure where only the enamel is affected or it can progress severely until it reaches the dental pulp and, in the worst case, causing the total loss of the tooth.
The specialist in restorative dentistry is responsible for removing the infected tissue and reconstructing the lost part of the tooth.
Periodontics
Periodontics is the speciality that deals with the health of the gum and the alveolar tooth. All patients who have problems with tartar, calculus or anything to do with the periodontium of the tooth, hence its name.
Periodontists are in charge of caring for and sanitising the gums and keeping the periodontium healthy.
Endodontics
Endodontics treats the canal of the tooth, i.e. the inner part of the tooth. It is the speciality that cleans the inside of the tooth or, in the worst case, removes the nerve from the tooth.
The cases in which the endodontist usually acts can be diverse, normally treating deep cavities, extreme sensitivity in the tooth or fractures of the tooth that reach the nerve, among others.
Orthodontics and orthopaedics
Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with correcting the position of teeth.
WHAT TYPE OF PATHOLOGY DOES IT CORRECT?
Although we may have the idea that orthodontics is used for purely aesthetic purposes, the truth is that this type of speciality is used to solve dental alignment problems.
Orthodontics is mainly used to align the teeth, which can restore the patient’s occlusion, correct crowding, dental rotations, space between teeth, bad bite and a long etcetera. All these corrections will bring as a secondary result an aesthetic benefit.
Dental prosthesis
Prosthodontics is the restoration or replacement of natural teeth.
The knowledge that a prosthodontist should have are:
- Diagnosis.
- Therapeutic planning.
- Prevention.
- Dental treatments with a wide range of solutions such as implants, cosmetic interventions, etc.
He can be considered the oral architect of the medical team.
A large part of the work in this speciality is related to cosmetics as they restore aesthetics, chewing functionality, phonation and comfort by means of dental prostheses.
In addition, he or she has to make the dental prosthesis used with the patient as natural as possible, which is why this discipline is closely connected to dental aesthetics.
TREATMENTS
- Restoration of damaged teeth.
- Replacing missing teeth.
- Oral implants.
Dental aesthetics
This discipline is in charge of solving all the pathologies of the oral and dental morphology to achieve a perfect smile, which is synonymous with social wellbeing.
TREATMENTS
- Dental whitening.
- Aesthetic fillings.
- Porcelain veneers.
- Orthodontics.
Dental implants
Dental implants is the technique for the replacement of teeth. This replacement helps the patient to maintain dental aesthetics and the functionality of the mouth intact.
Dental implants, in most cases, are a titanium screw that is implanted in the gum and is accepted by the body, moulding to the bone in a natural way. Implants are the most durable option for tooth loss and have many advantages over other treatments such as crowns, bridges or dentures.
This process is completely painless as local anaesthesia is usually used and, compared to other treatments, dental implant treatment times can be greatly reduced as with this technique you can show off your teeth in a day.
Paediatric Dentistry
The dental speciality aimed at children. This speciality begins with the birth of the primary teeth at the age of 6 until the age of 12, when the child has his or her permanent teeth.
The main function of the paediatric dentist is the prevention of anomalies in the permanent dentition when it has not yet erupted and, thus, to be able to solve it in time. They also detect bad habits in order to correct them so that they do not affect adult teeth and carry out restorative techniques on teeth affected by caries.
If you would like to know more about the different specialities, consult our treatment page or contact us.
