A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in providing oral health services. The dental team includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and sometimes dental therapists.
Tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The cavities may be a number of different colors, from yellow to black. Symptoms may include pain and difficulty eating. Complications may include inflammation of the tissue around the tooth, tooth loss and infection or abscess formation. Tooth regeneration is an on-going stem cell based field of study that is trying to reverse the effects of decay, unlike most current methods which only try to make dealing with the effects easier.
The American Dental Association (ADA) is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 161,000 members. Based in the American Dental Association Building in the Near North Side of Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association. The organization lobbies on behalf of the American dental profession and provides dental accreditation.
Early childhood caries (ECC), formerly known as nursing bottle caries, baby bottle tooth decay, night bottle mouth and night bottle caries, is a disease that affects teeth in children aged between birth and 71 months. ECC is characterized by the presence of 1 or more decayed, missing, or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth. ECC has been shown to be a very common, transmissible bacterial infection, usually passed from the primary caregiver to the child. The main bacteria responsible for dental cavities are Streptococcus mutans (S.mutans) and Lactobacillus. There is also evidence that supports that those who are in lower socioeconomic populations are at greater risk of developing ECC.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to dentistry and oral health:
Raman Bedi is Professor of Transcultural Oral Health at King's College London and was the Chief Dental Officer of England from 2002 to 2005. He is Chairman of the Global Child Dental Fund, having established the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce, and continues to practise.
Restorative dentistry is the study, diagnosis and integrated management of diseases of the teeth and their supporting structures and the rehabilitation of the dentition to functional and aesthetic requirements of the individual. Restorative dentistry encompasses the dental specialties of endodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics and its foundation is based upon how these interact in cases requiring multifaceted care. This may require the close input from other dental specialties such as orthodontics, paediatric dentistry and special care dentistry, as well as surgical specialties such as oral and maxillofacial surgery.
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.
Pediatric dentistry is the branch of dentistry dealing with children from birth through adolescence. The specialty of pediatric dentistry is recognized by the American Dental Association, Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
The International College of Dentists (ICD) is a global professional membership association for dentists. Conceived in 1920 and established in 1927, the organization seeks to 'honor outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service, and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind'. With over 12,000 members in 140 countries, the ICD is divided into autonomous sections, largely based on countries or geographical regions. Membership, known as Fellowship, is extended by invitation only and inductees are awarded the title of Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD). The ICD is a non-profit organization that fundraises for and supports a wide range of humanitarian and educational projects aimed at improving oral health in underserved communities around the world.
The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA) is an American professional association established in 1953 and based in Chicago.
Dentistry for babies is a branch of pediatric dentistry provided to children from birth to around 36 months of age, aiming to maintain or re-establish a good oral health status and create a positive attitude in parents and children about dentistry. Although concerns about dental treatment directed to babies have been reported at the beginning of the twentieth century, only recently has the dental community started to focus on this area of dentistry, due to the high dental caries (decay) prevalence observed in young children.
There is a long history of women in dentistry in the United States.
There is a long history of women in dentistry. Women are depicted as assistant dentists in the middle ages. Prior to the 19th century, dentistry was largely not yet a clearly defined and regulated profession with formal educational requirements. Individual female dentists are known from the 18th century. When the profession was regulated in the 19th century, it took a while before women achieved the formal education and permission to engage in dentistry.
The Uganda Dental Association (UDA) is a registered non-governmental organization that brings together all the qualified dental surgeons retired or practicing in Uganda. Headquartered in Uganda's capital city Kampala, the UDA serves its members and the public by managing key oral health issues on their behalf and by coordinating dental health awareness programs across the nation.
Silver diammine fluoride (SDF), also known as silver diamine fluoride in most of the dental literature, is a topical medication used to treat and prevent dental caries and relieve dentinal hypersensitivity. It is a colorless or blue-tinted, odourless liquid composed of silver, ammonium and fluoride ions at a pH of 10.4 or 13. Ammonia compounds reduce the oxidative potential of SDF, increase its stability and helps to maintain a constant concentration over a period of time, rendering it safe for use in the mouth. Silver and fluoride ions possess antimicrobial properties and are used in the remineralization of enamel and dentin on teeth for preventing and arresting dental caries.
Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a type of enamel defect affecting, as the name suggests, the first molars and incisors in the permanent dentition. MIH is considered a worldwide problem with a global prevalence of 12.9% and is usually identified in children under 10 years old. This developmental condition is caused by the lack of mineralisation of enamel during its maturation phase, due to interruption to the function of ameloblasts. Peri- and post-natal factors including premature birth, certain medical conditions, fever and antibiotic use have been found to be associated with development of MIH. Recent studies have suggested the role of genetics and/or epigenetic changes to be contributors of MIH development. However, further studies on the aetiology of MIH are required because it is believed to be multifactorial.
Pediatric crowns are dental crowns that provide full coverage for primary teeth. They can be made of different materials including stainless steel, polycarbonate, zirconium, or composite resin.
Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) is a method for cleaning out tooth decay from teeth using only hand instruments and placing a filling. It does not use rotary dental instruments to prepare the tooth and can be performed in settings with no access to dental equipment. No drilling or local anaesthetic injections are required. ART is considered a conservative approach, not only because it removes the decayed tissue with hand instruments, avoiding removing more tissue necessary which preserves as much tooth structure as possible, but also because it avoids pulp irritation and minimises patient discomfort. ART can be used for small, medium and deep cavities caused by dental caries.
