Dentist

Dentist is a collective name for specialists of various narrow profiles who deal with problems related to teeth and gums.

In the clinic there is a clear division on these issues, but occasionally people from related specialties have to cooperate. Also, all experts in the field of dentistry should be well versed in the intricacies that are characteristic of all branches of this medical science. The difference lies only in what skills the expert will develop deeper.

Regardless of which specialized dentist you have to make an appointment with, be it a surgeon or a general practitioner, people are always reluctant to do so. Due to stereotypes that each technique involves the intervention of a drill, and even the removal of nerves with anesthesia, patients try to endure to the last.

But such sacrifices always end badly. A simple small hole made during the destructive effect of caries, after a couple of months, can become the reason for the need to remove the entire tooth. To avoid such drastic measures, doctors insist on treatment in the early development of the disease.

Also, preventive examinations should not be ignored, after which the specialist will issue a verdict on the need to take some measures. So it will be possible to save not only teeth, but also money, having spent much less immediately.

Therapist: Jack of All Trades

Most often, the patient immediately gets to the therapist, who has a broad specialization and is considered a universal dental “fighter”. In his competence is not only the prevention of various deviations, but also direct treatment. He deals with the health of the entire oral cavity. Moreover, babies are always taken by a separate children’s doctor, who, in addition to professionalism, also gets along well with the child.

Adults should visit the doctor at least once a year, but kids sometimes have to shift the schedule in the direction of increasing the number of visits. This is necessary in order to, if necessary, catch the moment when you want to install the brackets.

The main work of the therapist begins with checking the condition of the oral cavity. Based on the result of the initial inspection, it turns out to establish a possible range of work. Most often, two standard deviations are diagnosed in patients during a preventive visit:

• caries;
• damage to tooth enamel

Both diseases are now treated fairly quickly with the involvement of innovative techniques, which allows us to count on a return to a full life immediately after leaving the threshold of the expert’s office. Also, they are all aimed at ensuring that the victim during the session does not experience any pain and other discomfort.

In most cases, the therapist offers to deal with caries lesions or damage to tooth enamel on the spot. If the affected area turned out to be significant, then the therapy can be divided into several visits.

During the initial examination, you can also ask the doctor to perform a number of other simple procedures that will improve the quality of life:

• removal of dental plaque;
• removal of tartar;
• whitening.

That very famous “Hollywood smile”, which everyone wants to get so much, is the result of just the three procedures listed above and several more significant additions to the indications for this.

But the use of a drill, which even many adults are afraid of, is not always required. If the doctor diagnosed caries in a patient, then you can’t do without it. Moreover, it is better not to postpone the filling until better times, since the degree of tooth damage will worsen significantly. It is better to sacrifice part of the damaged tooth at once than to lose it all later.

With advanced stages of caries, a therapist also comes to the rescue. It helps to overcome:

• pulpitis;
• gingivitis.

But in this scenario, you have to sacrifice most of the tooth, as well as put up with the pain that haunts a person before treatment begins.

Surgical intervention

Any public and private clinic separately employs several dental surgeons. These vacancies in the world of dentists are considered the most in demand.

People resort to surgical intervention only when it is no longer possible to save the tooth. Especially often with such appeals come those who have endured to the last and now complain not only of toothache, but also swollen gums, swollen cheeks and even a sore throat.

The surgeon takes up his instruments even when it is necessary to remove an incorrectly growing tooth. Not only does it cause inconvenience to its owner, it also worsens the aesthetic picture and blocks the development of its “neighbors” along the gum.

But in addition to all of the above, the competence of the doctor includes many other related tasks. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon is responsible for:

• prosthetics;
• implantation.

But, unlike classical cleaning or filling, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of the problem at one time. A long preparatory stage is aimed at ensuring that the final result of the work pleases the consumer for a long time. A good surgeon is never in a hurry. And in his professional activities he is assisted by an assistant.

Together, a well-coordinated team provides assistance not only to those who are going to become the owner of an irresistible smile, but also suffer from other pathologies:

• diseases of the trigeminal nerve;
• ailments of the temporomandibular joint;
• diseases of the salivary glands.

In normal surgical practice, they are less common, but this does not mean that their treatment should be avoided. This is also confirmed by the numerous reviews of those who suffered almost to the point of fainting, and then reproached themselves for the fear of the drill, suffering from discomfort for weeks.

Responsibilities of an Orthodontist

Another narrow area of ​​modern dentistry is orthodontics. Sometimes such an expert is called an orthopedist, but it would be more correct to call him an orthodontist. He has to cope with the tasks of the aesthetic part.

With the help of accumulated knowledge and skills, the doctor easily corrects both natural anomalies and those pathologies that arose much later. The group of the first includes the incorrect position of the teeth, which provokes an incorrect bite.

He is also subject to the correction of the entire dentition, no matter what natural data the applicant has from birth. The only question is how much such an intervention will cost.

The main secret weapon of the orthodontist are special braces. Today, their variety is so wide that some models seem almost invisible against the backdrop of old, massive offerings.

Despite the stereotype that braces or other assistants to correct the bite, the curvature of the dentition is the privilege of kids, this is no longer the case. Modern methods help to correct the mistakes of nature at almost any age. The difference lies only in the percentage effectiveness of the technique, which usually works somewhat worse for adults than for schoolchildren.

Hygienic procedures

A particularly large queue of people looking through among those who seek to make an appointment with a hygienist. Patients are accustomed to consider him “the safest dentist”, since his intervention is rarely accompanied by pain. In the worst case, the visitor will have to endure half an hour, sitting with his mouth open.

Just such a doctor can be found in nursing homes, schools and other similar institutions. His range of professional duties includes the following manipulations:

• general examination of the oral cavity;
• assessment of the condition of the gums;
• checking the condition of the teeth;
• drawing up a dental chart;
• checking for possible neoplasms;
• examination of the dentition with the involvement of ultrasound equipment;
• removal of accumulated plaque, stones and stains;
• taking fingerprints.

The last point provides for a large-scale preparatory stage, which is unfolding to draw up a tactic for a full-fledged long-term treatment. Based on the picture obtained, it will be possible to draw up a schedule of visits and compare them with the procedures required for therapy.

It does not do during the visit without educational activities, which are aimed at explaining the basics of oral care. In addition to the rules of brushing and flossing, the expert will also talk about a special diet, which will be useful for those who constantly seek help due to the rapid development of caries.

On his shoulders is periodontal preventive care, which includes subgingival antibacterial irrigation.

Features of diseases of the oral cavity

The top of the ranking of diseases that are in the lead among people who applied to the dental office is headed by caries at different stages of its course. From a physiological point of view, the process is explained by the mineralization of enamel. Over time, this guarantees the development of an inflammatory process like pulpitis. It is localized in the area of ​​neurovascular bundles, which are designed to nourish the tooth.

Other diseases include:

• periodontitis;
• periodontitis;
• ginvinitis;
• benign neoplasms;
• stomatitis;
• abscesses of the tongue;
• parotitis of a non-epidemic form.

Periodontitis, which is almost as common as caries, involves an inflammatory process that has chosen the tooth socket as the site of localization. This is the name of the place of contact between the gums and the growing tooth.

If the patient is haunted by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the gums, accompanied by a pronounced bad breath, then this indicates ginvinitis. If you postpone its treatment at the first stage, then very quickly it will lead to periodontitis and gum format abscess.

Do not be afraid of diagnoses associated with the detection of oncological formations on the gums. Usually we are talking about granulomas. Since these tumors are benign in nature, they are removed without problems.

Another disease that usually does not pose a serious danger, as it often goes away on its own, is stomatitis. The only difficulty here is that during the period of exacerbation, the patient suffers greatly due to unpleasant sensations. For the treatment of damage to the oral mucosa, the doctor will advise special pharmacy rinses. If you follow the instructions, you can get rid of inflammation in two to three days.

According to research, stomatitis in childhood is one of the hidden causes of loss of appetite in babies. They are simply uncomfortable to eat, so they are capricious and prefer not to injure the mucous membranes once again.

A little less common are traumatic injuries of the jaw, which simply cannot be corrected without the intervention of a maxillofacial surgeon. Another group of rare ailments are tongue abscesses and periostitis.

Sometimes it happens that the victim receives a referral to the dentist after visiting the ENT. This applies to cases with extensive inflammation, when the throat, gums and parotid gland swell. Because of this, it seems that it is she who is the cause of the pain, and not the ailment according to the dental profile.

How is the appointment going?

If you apply the next day after the first unpleasant symptoms appear, then you can get by with a little blood. But in case of acute pain attacks, you will have to put up with the use of a drill. But do not think that you will have to clean the tooth from inflamed tissues or get to the problematic canal without anesthesia. Modern techniques reduce the pain syndrome during therapy to almost zero.

But if the risks of pain during care are minimal, then the doctor recommends abandoning anesthesia, which negatively affects the work of other internal organs.

If you want to join the club of adherents of innovative methods of treatment, then it is better to go for help to a private clinic where a laser solution is practiced.

A safe alternative is based on cleaning the healthy area from the patient using special laser equipment. The only drawback of the method is a rather long duration. And upon completion of the treatment of the affected area, conventional filling can be performed.

But sometimes even that is not required. With a successfully caught disease of a non-serious nature, rinses and other pharmacological treatments can be dispensed with.