10 Areas of Expertise of the Dentist

If you are interested in this training, continue reading this text. Let’s talk about several areas of expertise for a dental professional. But first, let’s ask a question. How are dentists and dental surgeons different? Both professionals have degrees in Dentistry.

However, there are some peculiarities between them. Making a parallel with Medicine, we can say that the dentist is like the general practitioner. It has a more generic and immediate action, performing procedures such as:

• Teeth cleaning;
• Gum care;
• Caries treatments;
• Tartar removal;
• Fluoride application.

The dentist is a professional who has delved into a dental specialty. Many of his assignments are related to minor surgical interventions. As a procedure, we can cite as examples:

• Prosthetic implants;
• Mouth cancer treatments;
• Emergency procedures in the mouth;
• Cosmetic surgeries;
• Tooth extraction.

Where can the dentist work?

You will be surprised at the sheer number of possibilities you can follow when deciding to become a dentist. To help, today we are going to talk a little about 10 of these areas of activity.

1. Pediatric Dentistry

This market will require meticulous treatment and the use of various playful strategies during the procedures. The area of Pediatric Dentistry involves peculiarities, such as the oral treatment of babies and children who still live with milk teeth.

2. Implantology

This area involves working with implants. It is one of the most evolving with the development of new technologies. In addition to seeking to offer the best aesthetic aspect to the patient, the dentist specialized in this segment also needs to develop several parallel procedures, such as bone grafts.

3. Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Instead of clinics and offices specializing in Dentistry, the specialist in this area works in hospitals and outpatient clinics. In this case, the dentist can act in surgeries that involve:

• Facial trauma;
• Face reconstruction;
• Tumors and cancers;
• Injuries and fractures;
• Congenital malformations.

The oral and maxillofacial surgeon can even perform surgical interventions on the neck, when they are related to the oral apparatus.

4. Orthodontics

Orthodontics is considered one of the best-known and most demanded areas because it involves treatment with fixed and mobile orthodontic appliances. Its role is to act on problems involving the positioning of teeth and bones, both preventively and correctively. This is another segment of constant updating due to technological evolution.

4 Characteristics of Clinical Dentistry

5. Geriatric dentistry

The professional who chooses this area will be responsible for the dental treatment of the elderly, working for the individual to have a safe and healthy aging process. His work consists of dealing with oral health impacted by the advent of age, such as:

• Osteoporosis;
• Diabetes;
• Loss of tonicity in the tongue;
• Loss of teeth; Vascular problems.

It is this surgeon who can provide both palliative and curative treatments to the elderly.

6. Endodontics

An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in treating the nerves and roots of the teeth. He is the one who deals with trauma and dental fractures and who performs root canal surgeries. It’s a very delicate area. In addition to dealing with patients who suffer a lot of pain, it involves treating tissues that can easily be infected by bacteria, putting patients at risk.

7. Dental radiology and imaging

The professional who chooses this area will be a specialist in performing and analyzing imaging and radiological exams focused on the anatomy of the face. This is a specialty of great value to dentistry. This is because several other specialties depend on imaging tests to close diagnoses and perform treatments.

8. Periodontics

This is the specialty that deals with gum health. The professional who specializes in periodontics will diagnose and treat problems such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and plaque. Their work also involves caring for bones, ligaments, and cementum, a tissue that covers the surface of the tooth root.

9. Cosmetic dentistry

Like the entire esthetics market, this area of Dentistry is gaining prominence and receiving more and more customers. Among the procedures performed by the specialist in Aesthetic Dentistry, we can highlight:

• Teeth whitening;
• Plastic surgery on the gums also called gingivoplasty;
• Plastic surgery on the cheeks, known as discectomy;
• Application of botulinum toxin (botox) on the lips;
• Dental restorations.

One of the reasons that explain the great prominence of this segment is the possibility of rescuing patients’ self-esteem.

10. Surgery and traumatology

Another area in which the dentist will work is the hospital environment. In the outpatient area, the professional will treat problems such as minor injuries, wisdom teeth extraction, and simple surgical interventions. However, you will be involved with several more complex issues, such as:

• Irregular craniofacial growth;
• Sleep apnea;
• Facial injuries;
• Benign tumors;
• Dysfunctions linked to the bones of the face.

Here may be a good career indication for those who dream of dealing with the most varied surgeries.