Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition as well as the oral mucosa. Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery/facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.
Prosthodontics, also known as dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry, is the area of dentistry that focuses on dental prostheses. It is one of 12 dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA), Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. The ADA defines it as "the dental specialty pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth or oral and maxillofacial tissues using biocompatible substitutes."
A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world.
The Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides dental health services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. The corps is a part of the British Army's Army Medical Services.
Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an intercollegiate basis by the four Royal Colleges of Surgeons. The initials may be used as post-nominal letters.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, within the Surgeons' Hall, designed by William Henry Playfair, and adjoining buildings. The main campus includes a skills laboratory, the Surgeons' Hall Museums, a medical and surgical library, and a hotel. A second office was opened in Birmingham (UK) in 2014 and an international office opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland.
Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FDSRCS) is a Dental postgraduate professional qualification. It is bestowed by the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) (FGDP(UK)) was a UK professional body for general dental practitioners. It was established in 1992 as a faculty of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and was located in the College’s headquarters in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. In July 2021, it transferred into the independent College of General Dentistry.
Dentistry throughout the world is practiced differently, and training in dentistry varies as well.
The Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS) is a postgraduate professional education body established in 1965 to provide a broad range of activities to enhance the professional development of both general and specialist dentists through individually actioned studies and examinations leading to Membership or Fellowship of the College. RACDS provides ongoing professional development, mentoring and networking opportunities to its thousand of candidates, Fellows and Members. While it is a global organisation, its headquarters are in the Sydney CBD in Sydney, Australia.
University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry is one of the faculties of the University of Otago.
Special needs dentistry, also known as special care dentistry, is a dental specialty that deals with the oral health problems of geriatric patients, patients with intellectual disabilities, and patients with other medical, physical, or psychiatric issues.
In the United States and Canada, there are twelve recognized dental specialties in which some dentists choose to train and practice, in addition to or instead of general dentistry. In the United Kingdom and Australia, there are thirteen.
Lilian Lindsay, CBE, FSA was a dentist, dental historian, librarian and author who became the first qualified female dentist in Britain and the first female president of the British Dental Association.
John Menzies Campbell FRSE FDS RCSEd, DDS was a Scottish dentist and dental historian who became a collector of dental books, paintings and dental instruments. At the time of his death he had amassed what was regarded as one of the largest collections of dental memorabilia in the world. He bequeathed his picture and instrument collection to the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) where it formed the Menzies Campbell Dental Museum, and is now known as the Menzies Campbell Collection. His books and dental advertisements were left to the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng).
Douglas Archibald Hamilton Ritchie was a Rhodesian dentist and politician. Born in the Colony of Jamaica to British parents, his family moved to the United Kingdom in his youth. After serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, he moved to Southern Rhodesia and practised dentistry. He soon became one of the leading dentists in Rhodesia, and was elected to the Medical Council of Rhodesia in 1958. He entered politics in the 1960s, joining Rhodesian Front and representing the Salisbury suburb of Borrowdale as a member of parliament from 1965 to 1979. In the years following Zimbabwe's independence and the demise of Rhodesia, he emigrated to South Africa and engaged in general practice, dying there in 1999.
Andrew Howard Eric Eder is foundation dean and emeritus professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Buckingham Dental Institute and honorary consultant in restorative dentistry at Milton Keynes University Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust. He is also Emeritus Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute.
Lakshman 'Sam' Samaranayake is a Sri Lankan clinical academic with expertise in diagnostic clinical microbiology and research, senior executive level administration, and dental pedagogy and is best known for his work with Candidiasis. After serving as a Consultant Clinical Microbiologist in Glasgow, UK he joined the academia. Since then, working in five different trans-continental universities, he has authored over 450 scientific communications, cited over 27,000 occasions ). Subsequently, he served over 12 years as the Executive Dean of two major dental schools in Hong Kong, and Australia at the University of Hong Kong and University of Queensland, respectively. He has received numerous accolades for his contributions to dentistry, including the King James IV Professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK, and the Distinguished Scientist Award of IADR, USA. He holds many visiting/honorary professor appointments in the universities of Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, the UK, the Middle East, and China.
