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.
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.
This discussion of the dental amalgam controversy outlines the debate over whether dental amalgam should be used. Supporters claim that it is safe, effective and long-lasting, while critics argue that amalgam is unsafe because it may cause mercury poisoning and other toxicity.
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.
The New York University College of Dentistry is the dentistry school of New York University. As the third oldest dentistry school in the United States, it offers both graduate programs and clinical training in oral healthcare.
A dental hygienist or oral hygienist is a licensed dental professional, registered with a dental association or regulatory body within their country of practice. Prior to completing clinical and written board examinations, registered dental hygienists must have either an associate's or bachelor's degree in dental hygiene from an accredited college or university. Once registered, hygienists are primary healthcare professionals who work independently of or alongside dentists and other dental professionals to provide full oral health care. They have the training and education that focus on and specialize in the prevention and treatment of many oral diseases.
A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world.
The General Dental Council (GDC) is an organisation which regulates dental professionals in the United Kingdom. It keeps an up-to-date register of all qualified dentists and other dental care professionals such as: dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental nurses, dental technicians and clinical dental technicians. It was established in 1956 to set and maintain standards in UK dentistry, with the aims of protecting the general public from unqualified dental professionals.
The California Dental Association (CDA) is a nonprofit, professional organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA’s membership currently consists of 27,000 dentists in 32 local dental societies throughout the state of California, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association.
Thumb sucking is a behavior found in humans, chimpanzees, captive ring-tailed lemurs, and other primates. It usually involves placing the thumb into the mouth and rhythmically repeating sucking contact for a prolonged duration. It can also be accomplished with any organ within reach and is considered to be soothing and therapeutic for the person. As a child develops the habit, it will usually develop a "favourite" finger to suck on.
A denturist in the United States and Canada, clinical dental technologist in the United Kingdom and Ireland, dental prosthetist in Australia, or a clinical dental technician in New Zealand is a member of the oral health care team and role as primary oral health care provider who provides an oral health examination, planning treatment, takes impressions of the surrounding oral tissues, constructs and delivers removable oral prosthesis treatment directly to the patient.
The Melbourne Dental School is one of the graduate schools of the University of Melbourne. In addition to the 4-year graduate dental program the Doctor of Dental Surgery, the school offers specialty training programs combined with the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry degree, advanced training programs, and research degrees including M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs. According to the QS World Rankings, it is the highest ranking dental school in Australia and often ranks among the top 25 in the world.
Oral and maxillofacial radiology, also known as dental and maxillofacial radiology, or even more common DentoMaxilloFacial Radiology, is the specialty of dentistry concerned with performance and interpretation of diagnostic imaging used for examining the craniofacial, dental and adjacent structures.
Dental Public Health (DPH) is a para-clinical specialty of dentistry that deals with the prevention of oral disease and promotion of oral health. Dental public health is involved in the assessment of key dental health needs and coming up with effective solutions to improve the dental health of populations rather than individuals.
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.
Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI) is an American dental service chain with nearly 350 offices in 22 states. Its headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois.
Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is the dental part of the more general movement toward evidence-based medicine and other evidence-based practices. The pervasive access to information on the internet includes different aspects of dentistry for both the dentists and patients. This has created a need to ensure that evidence referenced to are valid, reliable and of good quality.
The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology (ADSA) is an American professional association established in 1953 and based in Chicago.
The Journal of the Canadian Dental Association (JCDA) is a bimonthly peer-reviewed dental journal published by the Canadian Dental Association. It is more commonly referred to by its web address JCDA.ca, owing to its evolution into a print and electronic based knowledge network.
