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If you’re looking for a dentist, you have a lot of available options! According to the American Dental Association, there were over 190,000 dentists practicing in the United States in 2017. With so many choices for your dental health coverage, you may not be sure where to start or what your best option is. Finding a dental medicine clinic with a wide range of specializations is a great start to making sure you’re fully covered no matter what happens to you or your family’s oral health.
First, let’s review the definition of general dentistry. A general dentist focuses on diagnosing and then treating your teeth and oral area. If specialized care is necessary, they can coordinate with other dentists who have training in the specific area you need. They are most similar to a general practitioner in medicine. If you go to a dental clinic, a general dentist can examine you and give overall care and then help you work with other members of the clinic directly. Let’s look over some of these specialized options.
Orthodontics: An orthodontist works with you towards one big goal: making sure you have the healthiest bite possible. The dental definition of a bite is how well your teeth meet when they come together. Orthodontists make sure that your teeth will be straight and check on what could hurt that alignment. If you need your teeth straightened, an orthodontist will assist you in using and securing devices like braces and aligners to correct your bite.
Periodontics: Your dental issue may not directly be with your teeth, but with your gums or other regions of your mouth. A periodontic specialist can help with any inflammation and disease in these areas. By diagnosing and working to prevent any issues from treatment and advice, a periodontist makes sure that your teeth are supported and reinforced.
Endodontics: An endodontic specialist works with the root of your tooth, specifically the tissues and dental pulp in that area. They save your teeth by directly rehabilitating and restoring the root through what’s called a root canal. A dental injury to your root could result in the loss of your tooth, so the procedures and techniques used by these specialists could be crucial to your tooth’s health.
Prosthodontics: If you do lose your tooth or if you have issues relating to your oral health that require rehabilitation, a prosthodontic specialist can help you regain your teeth and smile. Prosthodontic procedures are all about restoring teeth that have either been lost or don’t function as they should. A prosthodontist can work directly to apply implants, crowns, bridges, or any other dental prosthetic that you might need.
These are just some of the specializations that you can find in a dental medicine clinic. Continual care of your teeth is of course important, but you may find yourself needing treatment for something unexpected like a lost tooth or a gum disease. By starting your work directly with a dental clinic, you can avoid having to search for an unknown dentist near you . You’ll be working with a familiar group of providers at a convenient, coordinated location.
If you live in the Philadelphia area and are interested in finding a dental medicine clinic for your needs, please contact Penn Dental Medicine at 215-898-8965. Penn Dental Medicine is a teaching clinic where student dentists work closely with expert dentists from the University of Pennsylvania. We offer a wide range of specialties and can assist and advise you on all of your dental needs and concerns.