General Overview
A dentist is a doctor that specializes in general dental health by providing various dental health procedures. Dentistry itself is the evaluation, prevention and treatment of all diseases or disorders of the oral cavity, and is necessary for overall oral health. Dentists are often assisted by other health personnel such as dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians and dental therapists. These people help the main dentist perform different dental health procedures including X-rays, cleanings and periodontal surgeries.
Typical Workday
On a typical workday, a dentist can be engaged in a variety of activities dealing with the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of different types of dental diseases. A dentist will see several patients by appointment and walk-in during a given day. These patients will often come in for a variety of different reasons encompassing prevention and treatment. For prevention purposes, a dentist will do a deep cleaning of the teeth and gums, removing plaque, bacteria and anything stuck in between the teeth that a simple brushing and flossing cannot remove. A dentist may also check for cavities and treat them by first drilling to remove the decaying part of the tooth, then filling it with dental amalgam such as resin, porcelain or even gold. A dentist may also spend part of the workday performing oral surgeries such as root canals, periodontal surgery, dental implants, lesion removal and biopsy.
Education and Training
To become a dentist, one must complete at least four years of college (receiving a bachelor's degree in science, biology or related field) and then complete at least four more years of post-graduate study at a dental college. After post-graduate study, a person will receive either a doctor of dental surgery degree (DDS) or doctor of dental medicine degree (DMD). After graduation, some dentists also choose to do a year of internship or residency focusing on a specialty before beginning their practices. There are also about nine recognized specialties in dentistry that require further study in the form of a graduate training program.
Tags: dental health, prevention treatment, complete least, complete least four, dental health procedures