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What Is Specialist Dentistry?

A dental specialist is a dentist who is an expert in a particular area, owing to extra qualifications or years of experience in their job. Most people see a specialist when they require services that can’t be easily completed during a checkup with a general practitioner.

Some dentists will specialise in orthodontics, whereas others will have expertise in children’s dentistry. Whatever dental troubles you’re having, there’s be a specialist dental practitioner ready to help you out.

In most cases, patients are referred to a specialist by a general practitioner. Nearly all specialist practices accept referrals from dentists, but it’s worth checking before booking an appointment.

What Services Does A Specialist Dentist Offer?

There are dentist specialists available for every type of dentistry. Below you’ll find a small selection of the areas where experienced dentists operate.

Oral surgery

Patients who require oral surgery are sometimes directed to a specialist dental surgeon. A general dentist can still perform most of the operations, but specialists are used for the more complex procedures.

Oral surgery specialists typically work alongside other dental specialists to provide the best service to their patients. For example, an orthodontics specialist may consult with an oral surgery practitioner to treat overcrowded teeth.

Oral surgery is also used to provide relief from severe dental pain, as well as the removal of non-cancerous polyps and tumours. Oral surgery specialists will complete tooth removals that a general practitioner considers too complicated.

Restorative treatments

Restorative dentistry is a large area of dental practice, and as such, there are plenty of specialists out there who work on this exclusively. Restorative dentistry is a collection of treatments used to fix broken or damaged teeth.

Many techniques are used during restorative dentistry. Some of the most popular are fillings, crowns, and bridges. Again, a general dentist often completes restorative dentistry, but they may refer patients to a specialist in some cases.

Restorative dentistry is commonly used to replace missing teeth. Tools such as dentures and dental implants offer a painless method to fill in gaps in the mouth. If you’ve lost a tooth during an accident or from decay, then restorative dentistry is nearly always the best solution.

Cosmetic dentistry

Specialists in cosmetic dentistry are the people to see if you want to get your teeth looking as good as new. Cosmetic dentistry covers several areas, but the most common is teeth whitening. Cosmetic specialists can easily add a new shine to your pearly whites and offer great advice on maintaining the colour.

Cosmetic dentistry can also be used to straighten and realign teeth. However, this process is typically completed by an orthodontic specialist.

Orthodontics

Orthodontic specialist dentistry is one of the most important branches of the dental world. Orthodontic practices include braces, teeth straightening, and jaw realignment. The ultimate goal of orthodontic treatment is to slowly move teeth into a straight and healthy alignment.

Orthodontic treatments are not just cosmetic, and for many patients, they are essential for their future dental health. This is why this type of dentistry is essential and why many practitioners choose to specialise in the area.

You can find orthodontic specialists up and down the country. Be sure to check out our useful search tool to locate one near you.

Dental hygiene treatments

Dental hygiene is yet another branch of specialist dentistry. A hygienist is a practitioner who focuses on keeping their client’s teeth, gums, and mouth clean and healthy. A hygienist will typically work alongside a regular dentist, and most practices will have a dedicated hygiene team.

Oral health is essential in adults and children. Maintaining good dental hygiene protects you from tooth decay and gum problems. Hygiene specialists will also advise patients on how to keep their teeth clean at home properly.

Children's specialist dentistry

Since childrens’ mouths are constantly developing, dental processes can be more difficult. This means that practitioners often require more training and experience before they can provide effective treatment for children.

A pediatric dentist can deal with any issues that a child might have with their teeth or mouth. This could involve oral surgery for serious problems.

Maxillofacial surgery

Maxillofacial surgery is a specific type of oral surgery concerned with offering treatment to people who have suffered facial injuries and damage. Maxillofacial specialists have the expertise to operate on the jaw, mouth, wisdom teeth, and face.

To become a maxillofacial surgeon, you must complete the standard dentistry graduate course, followed by four more years of surgery training in a hospital. As a result, maxillofacial surgeons are highly qualified in clinical care and can perform delicate operations with ease.

How Do I Find Specialist Dentistry Near Me?

You can discover some of the best specialist dentistry practices in a matter of seconds by using our search tool. Enter your location in the search bar and select the specialist dentistry services you’re looking for. It’s that easy!

The Dental Register search tool will only suggest high-quality and well-respected specialist dentistry practices in your area. We believe everyone should have access to great dentistry whenever they need it.

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    Frequently asked Questions

    Your usual general dentist can complete most root canal treatments. Alternatively, you can choose to visit an endodontics specialist. Whichever you choose, root canal treatment will greatly improve your oral health and prevent further decay.

    Many specialist dentistry practices will have appointments put aside for use in the case of an emergency. Dental emergencies include severe tooth, gum, and mouth pain. Restorative dentistry will also be available for knocked out or damaged teeth.

    No, the dental implant treatment should not be painful – your dentist will use a local anaesthetic to numb the area. If many dental implants are being put in at once, they may use a general anaesthetic.