All About General Dentistry

General dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral health conditions. General dentists are the primary dental care providers to people of all ages, providing a wide array of services that are vital to overall health.

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services of general dentistry:

• Preventive services: These help maintain good oral health by preventing diseases before they take hold in the mouth. Regular exams, professional teeth cleanings, and preventive treatments such as sealants are part of these services.
• Restorative services: General dentists provide timely and appropriate treatment for dental problems. This includes removing tooth decay and placing a filling in the affected tooth, diagnosing and treating the causes of tooth pain or gum disease, and offering treatments for missing teeth, placing crowns or bridgework, and fitting dentures.
• Cosmetic procedures: Many general dentists can help improve your smile with a range of cosmetic procedures. These include teeth whitening, cosmetic bonding, and porcelain veneers.
• Overall health concerns: General dentists are trained to identify issues that may reflect problems in other parts of the body and offer appropriate treatment or referral when needed.

General dentists are the main providers of dental care to people of all ages. At a routine visit, you will probably have a thorough examination of your mouth, a professional cleaning, and a discussion about your dental and overall health.

After completing their undergraduate education, all general dentists have successfully completed four years at an accredited dental school. In addition, they have fulfilled the requirements (including testing and continuing education) of state licensing boards. Some dentists have the initials DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) following their names, while others have DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery). The only difference between the two is the title used on their dental school’s degrees; their education and training is exactly the same.

In addition to their standard training, some general dentists receive special training in particular areas—for example, implant placement, cosmetic procedures, or other therapies.

What kind of special training do some general

Some general dentists receive specialized training in specific areas of dentistry to enhance their skills and provide more comprehensive care to their patients. Here are some examples of specialized training programs and the areas they cover:

Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Program: This is a fully accredited one-year post-doctoral program in clinical dentistry with a didactic component in general dentistry. The primary focus of this program is to improve the clinical skills taught in an undergraduate dental school program. The program is open to general dentists serving on active duty in the United States Navy. Residents receive individual mentoring and top-notch staff support while developing advanced clinical judgment and proficiency in comprehensive treatment planning, prosthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, orofacial pain, oral and maxillofacial radiology, CAD/CAM, and general dentistry.

• Operative Dentistry: This involves diagnosing, treatment planning, and restoring teeth with complex restorative needs. It also includes diagnosing, treatment planning, and treating patients with aesthetic needs using conservative modalities and restorative modalities. Restoring endodontically treated teeth with direct or indirect core restorations is also a part of this training.
• Prosthodontics: This involves diagnosing, treatment planning, and managing patients with missing teeth to restore the edentulous space using clinical, radiographic, and laboratory data. It also includes understanding the role of occlusion in providing prosthodontic care, including occlusal assessment, the proper use of various articulators, selection of occlusal schemes, diagnostic wax-ups, and static and functional occlusal records.
• Periodontics: This involves diagnosing various periodontal diseases using the AAP classification system and treatment planning periodontal therapy. It also includes understanding the periodontal/restorative interface, diagnosing biologic width violation, and incorporating functional and/or aesthetic crown lengthening procedures into a comprehensive treatment plan.
• Endodontics: This involves performing a thorough endodontic evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment planning, properly employing various clinical and radiographic diagnostic modalities and using current AAE diagnostic terminology.
• Pain and Anxiety Control: This involves understanding and using various behavioral management techniques to treat patients with dental anxiety. It also includes understanding how to manage and control dental pain and anxiety using various pharmacologic modalities.
• Implants: This involves understanding the critical restorative and surgical aspects of treatment planning and treatment of patients with dental implants. It also includes being familiar with the assessment and diagnosis of patients who present with implant complications, and knowing how to appropriately manage such cases through treatment or referral.
• Orofacial Pain/TMD: This involves developing an understanding of the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of patients who present with temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.
• Practice Management: This involves understanding the management of allied dental professionals and other office personnel and principles of peer management. It also includes understanding principles of quality management, electronic patient reporting system (ePERs), and Lean Six Sigma.

In addition to these specialized training programs, general dentists can also receive special training in areas such as implant placement, cosmetic procedures, or other therapies.

Can general dentists perform cosmetic dentistry?

Yes, general dentists can perform cosmetic dentistry procedures. Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance and function of your teeth. It is one of the fastest-growing sectors of dentistry, and many patients choose to get cosmetic dental treatments to improve their appearance, self-confidence, or oral health.

General dentists can perform a variety of cosmetic procedures. For instance, they can offer teeth whitening procedures, which have effectively restored the smile of people with stained, dull, or discolored teeth. They can also provide professional teeth whitening, which is a safe and effective cosmetic treatment that lightens discolored teeth.

Additionally, general dentists can offer treatments like dental implants and dental fillings, which are often necessary before more cosmetic procedures like veneers can be performed.

However, it's important to note that while general dentists can perform cosmetic procedures, they may not specialize in them as much as cosmetic dentists do. Cosmetic dentists often have additional training and experience in cosmetic procedures, and they may be more knowledgeable about the latest techniques and technologies.

In conclusion, if you're considering cosmetic dentistry procedures, it's a good idea to discuss your needs with your general dentist. They can provide you with information about their capabilities and may be able to perform the procedure themselves or refer you to a cosmetic dentist if they don't specialize in the procedure you're interested in.