Back in the day a dentist was a dentist was a dentist, but these days just like in medicine, there are several specialties of dentistry.  So here goes the breakdown:

General Dentist (GD) – The practioner who most of us go to for our regular checkups.  I consider them the Jack of All Trades so to speak, because although training usually includes all aspects of dentistry, the GD mainly concentrates on the overall health of your teeth.  Procedures usually performed are cleanings, fillings, maybe some crown & bridge work, and/or maybe some simple extractiions (simple meaning not wisdom teeth or other possible difficult procedures, which I will get into in another blog posting).

Periodontist – The dentist specializing in periodontics main focus is the health of our gums (gingiva).  Usually any procedures requiring the ginigva tissue would be performed by this practioner.

Prostodontist – The dental practitioner who specializes in this field practices the tedious task of crown and bridge work.

Endodontist – The endondontist specializes in Root Canal Therapy.  When a patient’s nerve has come infected or a trauma injury has caused damage to the nerve of a tooth, the endodontist would be the one to perform the root canal (think of them as a heart surgeon).  The practice of endodontics can be tricky and these practioners are usually the ones who have conquered the sometimes complex task of this dental specialty.

Pedodontists – This dentist specializes in children’s dentistry and patient’s with special needs.  With the rise of conditions like Autism, ADHD, etc., a pediatric dentist must know how to recognize behavioral patterns in their patients and learn how to best service them and their individual needs.

Oral Surgeon – The oral surgeon is the master of removing teeth (extractions) typically adult teeth.  In the past a GD would be the dentist who would perform the extractions including those usually stubborn wisdom teeth.  As time progressed the oral surgeon has become the one who has taken over the art of tooth extractions.  In addition, many of them have become trained in the coming of age procedure – Implants (don’t worry, that’s another subject).

Orthodontist – This is the specialist who has the tedious and time consuming task of changing the position of a patient’s teeth.  In the past some thought straightening of one’s teeth was only for cosmetic reasons, however, people are now coming to realize not only does this field of dentistry help to create a beautiful, straight smile but in most cases their work contributes to the function and health of our teeth.

When seeking the service of a dental specialist, look for board certification in that particular specialty – a dentist who is board certified is considered the “cream of the crop” so to speak.   They all must go through the ritual of proving they have mastered their craft by presenting cases they have treated or have taken a live exam using real patients to pass the test.  Believe me it’s not always the easiest thing to do, especially when they must perform and complete some of  the procedures in a day.

Get a referral from your GD for a specialist.  Your GD has a network of dental specialists he or she may prefer to work with and if you trust your GD you usually can trust their opinion.