Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is a branch of medicine that consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity, commonly in the dentition but also the oral mucosa, and of adjacent and related structures and tissues, particularly in the maxillofacial area. Although primarily associated with teeth among the general public, the field of dentistry or dental medicine is not limited to teeth but includes other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint and other supporting, muscular, lymphatic, nervous, vascular, and anatomical structures.
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 and promotes good oral health to the public while representing the dental profession.
Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance of teeth, gums and/or bite. It primarily focuses on improvement in dental aesthetics in color, position, shape, size, alignment and overall smile appearance. Many dentists refer to themselves as "cosmetic dentists" regardless of their specific education, specialty, training, and experience in this field. This has been considered unethical with a predominant objective of marketing to patients. The American Dental Association does not recognize cosmetic dentistry as a formal specialty area of dentistry. However, there are still dentists that promote themselves as cosmetic dentists.
There are a number of professional degrees in dentistry offered by dental schools in various countries around the world.
The UCLA School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) located in the Center for Health Sciences building in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. The school has several educational and training programs, conducts oral and dental health research, and offers affordable dental care at three locations: Westwood, Venice, and Inglewood. The school also participates in several outreach endeavors, including numerous health fairs during the year, STEM pipeline programs and provides dental care for underserved populations in the region. The School of Dentistry is considered among the nation's best research-intensive dental schools.
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM) is a private, American dental school located in the Chinatown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and is connected to Tufts Medical Center. It is one of the 8 graduate schools that comprise Tufts University. Founded in 1868 as Boston Dental College by Dr. Isaac J. Wetherbee, the university is the second oldest dental school in the city, and one of the oldest in the country. As of 2013, Tufts is the second largest dental school in the United States, with a class size of approximately 190 students per class.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine is the dental school of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of Pitt’s six schools of the health sciences and one of several dental schools in Pennsylvania. It is closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The School of Dental Medicine accepted 3.6% of applicants for the class of 2016, a record low for the school's entire history.
Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) is a United States private, non-profit graduate school for the health professions, with a main campus located on 22 acres (8.9 ha) in downtown Pomona, California, and an additional medical school campus on 50 acres in Lebanon, Oregon. WesternU offers degrees in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, nursing, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, pharmacy, biomedical sciences, and veterinary medicine. With an enrollment of 3,833 students (2018–19), WesternU is one of the largest graduate schools for the health professions in California, offering 21 academic programs in nine colleges.
FDI World Dental Federation was established in Paris in 1900 as the Fédération Dentaire Internationale and is the world's leading organization representing the dental profession. It serves as the principal representative body for over one million dentists worldwide, developing health policy and continuing education programmes, speaking as a unified voice for dentistry in international advocacy, and supporting member associations in oral health promotion activities worldwide. FDI’s membership includes over 200 national member associations and specialist groups in some 130 countries.
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA), founded in 1923 as the American Association of Dental Schools, is a non-profit association representing academic dentistry and based in Washington, D.C. It is known as The Voice of Dental Education.
Carl E. Misch was an American prosthodontist recognized internationally for his clinical and academic contributions to the field of implant dentistry.
Hessam Nowzari is the Director of the University of Southern California Advanced Periodontics program, since 1995, and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology.
Hom-Lay Wang (王鴻烈) is a Taiwanese-born periodontist and director of the graduate periodontal program at University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
Coronation Dental Specialty Group is multi-site dental practice in southwestern Ontario with a practice limited to dental specialists including Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Endodontics, Periodontics and Anaesthesia. Coronation Dental provides services for removal of wisdom teeth, dental implants, gum surgery, gum grafting, root canals and anaesthesia. It employs 70 full and part-time people in Southwestern Ontario.
Klaus F. Müller is a German dentist and European pioneer of modern dental implantology. He grew up in Sinn in Hesse, Germany, where he was born on July 20, 1949.
Rashad Mohammed Thabet Murad, Syrian Arabic dentist, was born in Riyadh in a well-known Damascene family. He lived in Syria and graduated from Ibn Khaldon high school in 1987, and joined Al-Ba’th Faculty of Dentistry University. He graduated and obtained a seventh rank in 1992. Mentioned here is his several certificates in: Dentistry, Pharmacy, Management, Public Health, Pharmacology, Dental Implants. On 12 May 2015 the ICOI appointed him as an international president for ICOI representing their interest in Syria.
Andrew FrangellaDDS, FICOI, FAGD, is a US-based general dentist that specializes in cosmetic dentistry and Oral Implantology. He is known for engaging multidisciplinary approach in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Andrew is listed in the Long Island Pulse Magazine as one of America’s Top Dentists. He is also named as one of the Top 10 Dentists in Social Media.
Anil Kohli is an Indian dental surgeon, medical administrator and a former president of the Dental Council of India. He is an elected fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and holds the honorary rank of 'Brigadier' in the Army Dental Corps. He is a recipient of B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honor of the Padma Shri in 1992 and followed it up with the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2005, for his contributions to medicine, making him the first dentist to receive both the honors.
The International Postgraduate Medical College is a Tax exempt, non-profitable Educational Institution based currently in Jamaica, with the main purpose to disseminate by training, postgraduate medical and dental education through its 2 Faculties - The Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Medicine. The two faculties currently prepare Dentists for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. It also trains Dentists in the specialized field of Oral Surgery, Oral Implantology, Oral Radiology and Diagnosis, and Anatomy Education for the purpose of acquiring higher education. The College which itself developed exclusively from the help and encouragement of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, currently awards master's degrees and Diploma's in specialized dental areas. The founder of the College is Dr Christopher Ogunsalu, the inventor of the Ogunsalu Sandwich bone regeneration technique.
