Seven major branches of Dentistry.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Seven major branches of Dentistry.

Dentistry is divided into 7 departments, namingly : Oral Medicine, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics, Orthodontics, Pedodontics, Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry. Lets have a brief look on them.

1. Oral Medicine : Oral medicine is the dental specialty placed at the interface between medicine and dentistry.
Oral medicine is concerned with diagnosis and non-surgical management of non-dental pathology affecting the oral and maxillofacial region, such as oral lichen planus, Behçet's disease and pemphigus vulgaris. Moreover, it often involves the diagnosis and follow-up of pre-malignant lesions of the oral cavity, like leukoplakia or erythroplakia. Another aspect of the speciality is managing the oral condition of medically compromised patients. For example, cancer patients who suffer from related oral mucositis, bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws or oral pathology related to radiation therapy. Additionally, it is involved in the diagnosis and management of dry mouth conditions, such as Sjögren's syndrome, and non-dental chronic orofacial pain conditions, such as burning mouth syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia and temporomandibular joint disorder.
The main facets of oral medicine are:
* Clinical care
* Research
* Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching

2. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery : Oral Surgery (Oral and Maxilloafacial Surgery) is a recognized international specialty in dentistry. It includes the diagnosis, surgical and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and neck.
It involves, but is not limited to: dental implants, wisdom teeth removal, apicoectomy, TMJ disorder, facial trauma, corrective jaw surgery, oral pathology, osseous tissue surgery, anesthesia and bone grafts.

3. Periodontics : Periodontology or Periodontics (from Greek peri "around"; and odous οδούς "tooth" genitive odontos οδόντος) is the specialty of dentistry that studies supporting structures of teeth, diseases, and conditions that affect them. The supporting tissues are known as the periodontium, which includes the gingiva (gums), alveolar bone, cementum, and the periodontal ligament. A professional who practises this speciality field of dentistry is known as a periodontist.
Periodontal diseases take on many different forms but are usually a result of a coalescence of bacterial plaque biofilm accumulation of the gingiva and teeth, combined with host immuno-inflammatory mechanisms and other risk factors which lead to destruction of the supporting bone around natural teeth. Untreated, these diseases lead to alveolar bone loss and tooth loss and, to date, continue to be the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

4. Orthodontics : Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture (from Greek orthos "straight or proper"; and odous "tooth") is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth. In the latter case it is better defined as "dentofacial orthopaedics". Orthodontic treatment can be carried out for purely aesthetic reasons with regards to improving the general appearance of patients' teeth. However, there are orthodontists who work on reconstructing the entire face rather than focusing exclusively on teeth. Edward Angle was the first orthodontist—the first dentist to limit his practice to orthodontics only. He is considered the "father of modern orthodontics."

5. Pedodontics : Pediatric Dentistry (formerly Pedodontics/Paedodontics) is the branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence. It is one of the Specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
This discipline focuses intimately on pediatric/adolescent growth and development, disease causality and prevention, child psychology and management, and all aspects of the highly-specialized Pediatric restorative techniques and modalities. Some Pediatric Dentists also specialize in the care of "special needs" patients, such as people with cerebral palsy, mental retardation and autism.
A little girl's trip to the pediatric dentist examining children's teeth.
Pediatric Dentists require an extra two to three years of post-doctoral dental training after attaining their dental degree. They are then eligible for board certification by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (Diplomate ABPD) or Fellowship with either the Royal College of Dentists of Canada ( FRCDC (Paed) ), or Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons ( FRACDS (Paed) ). Most states (excluding Texas) and provinces require a Specialty Permit or License in order to limit professional practice to Pediatric Dentistry or to represent oneself as a Pediatric Dentist. Differentiating itself from general dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes the establishment of trust and confidence in children with their dentists. Consequently, one of the main components of pediatric training is child psychology. This manifests itself in special office designs, different communication styles and an emphasis on teaching preventative dental habits to children in an effort to make dental visits enjoyable.

6. Prosthodontics : Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry. Prosthodontics is the dental specialty pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth and/or oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes.

7. Conservative Dentistry : Conservative Dentistry is the branch of dentistry which is concerned with the conservation of teeth in the mouth. It embraces the practice of operative dentistry and endodontics, and includes various kinds of direct and indirect restorations of individual teeth in the mouth.
Primary goal of Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of sequelae of dental caries and includes the techniques and procedures to restore the teeth to full function & appearance in an aesthetically pleasing manner with as little loss of healthy tooth structure as possible. It also involves performing root canal treatment and associated surgical procedures to rid the tooth of its offending malady The treatment provided include various fillings, root canal treatment surgical endodontics, endodontic implants, bleaching, & management of traumatized teeth.