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.
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.
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.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity (mouth), head and neck, 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 College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The RCSEd has six faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical and healthcare specialities. Its main campus is located on Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, centred around the 18th century Surgeons' Hall. The campus includes Surgeons' Hall Museums, a medical and surgical library, a skills laboratory, a symposium hall, administrative offices and a hotel. A second UK office was opened in Birmingham in 2014 and an international office opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018.
Dentistry throughout the world is practiced differently, and training in dentistry varies as well.
The University of Dental Medicine, Yangon, is the leading university of dental medicine, located in Yangon, Myanmar. The university, along with the University of Dental Medicine, Mandalay, is one of only two universities of dental medicine in the country. The annual intake into both dental universities used to be 300 but from 2017 the annual intake for each university has been decreased to only 100. The country with a population of over 50 million had only about 1,500 dentists in 2005.
Government Pharmacy College, Bangalore is a pharmacy college located in Bangalore, India, run by the government of Karnataka. It was established in 1964 and is affiliated with the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. It is ranked among the top ten pharmacy institutions in India.
Dennis Perry Tarnow is an American dentist specializing in periodontics, prosthodontics and implant dentistry and is known for his mark on dental implant research and education. He is currently director of implant dentistry at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and former chairman of the department of periodontics and implant dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry. He is a sought after speaker on the subject of implant dentistry.
Carl E. Misch was an American prosthodontist recognized internationally for his clinical and academic contributions to the field of implant dentistry.
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 was conceived in 1920 at a farewell party in Tokyo for Dr. Louis Ottofy when he was returning home to the United States after practicing dentistry in the Philippines and Japan for 23 years. A colleague, Dr. Tsurukichi Okumura, a Japanese dentist, also urged Dr. Ottofy to form an international organization.
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.
Nishtar Institute of Dentistry is a dental school and a tertiary care dental and Oral-Maxillofacial trauma/diseases treatment facility located in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
Mahesh Verma is an Indian prosthodontist and the former Director and Principal of Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences. Currently, he is the Vice Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. The Government of India awarded him, in 2014, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of medicine,
Sajeev Koshy (1956-2023) was an Indian-born specialist endodontist residing in Australia. He was a public dentist, clinical director and a social advocate. He was a recipient of The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
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.
