Dental specialists are practitioners who have completed additional training and education beyond dental school to focus on specific areas of dentistry. Here is a list of common dental specialties along with their meanings:
1. Orthodontist: A specialist who focuses on diagnosing, preventing, and treating dental and facial problems, primarily through the use of braces, invisalign and other appliances to straighten teeth and correct jaw alignment.
2. Periodontist: A specialist in the preventing, diagnosing, and treating periodontal disease (gum disease) and placing dental implants.
3. Endodontist: A specialist who deals with the diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries of the dental pulp (the innermost part of the tooth) and performing a root canal.
4. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon: A specialist who performs surgical procedures on the mouth, jaws, and face. This includes extractions (Ex: Wisdom teeth), corrective jaw surgery, and treatment of facial injuries.
5. Prosthodontist: A specialist in restoring and replacing teeth with the use of crowns, bridges, dentures, and implants.
6. Pediatric Dentist: A specialist who focuses on the dental care of infants, children, and adolescents.
7. Oral Pathologist: A specialist who diagnoses diseases of the oral and maxillofacial regions through laboratory analysis of biopsies.
8. Forensic Odontologist: A specialist who applies dental knowledge to legal investigations, including the identification of human remains and the analysis of bite marks.
These are only some of the specialists that play vital roles in providing dental care!
