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 University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry is a dental school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the ten dental schools in Canada. It is the largest dental school in Canada with a range of undergraduate and graduate level programs with a total enrolment in the range of 560. The faculty is located at the heart of Downtown Toronto's Discovery District, a neighbourhood with a high concentration of hospitals and research institutes, just south of the University of Toronto's St. George campus. In 2014, the Faculty of Dentistry joined the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC), providing support in building capacity for oral health in Ethiopia by creating collaborative teaching opportunities.
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 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.
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.
An oral medicine or stomatology doctor/dentist has received additional specialized training and experience in the diagnosis and management of oral mucosal abnormalities including oral cancer, salivary gland disorders, temporomandibular disorders and facial pain, taste and smell disorders; and recognition of the oral manifestations of systemic and infectious diseases. It lies at the interface between medicine and dentistry. An oral medicine doctor is trained to diagnose and manage patients with disorders of the orofacial region.
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.
A dental school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists and potentially other dental auxiliaries. Dental school graduates receive a degree in Dentistry, Dental Surgery, or Dental Medicine, which, depending upon the jurisdiction, might be a bachelor's degree, master's degree, a professional degree, or a doctorate. Schools can also offer postgraduate training in general dentistry, and/or training in endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, dental public health, restorative dentistry, as well as postgraduate training for dental hygienists and dental technicians.
The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is the largest dental school in Africa. Located in Belville, near Cape Town the UWC Faculty of Dentistry offers the BChD (DDS) Degree, degree in dental hygiene, and post-graduate MChD, MSc(Dent) degrees.
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 University of Iowa College of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Iowa. It is located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the only dental school in Iowa and is one of only two dental colleges in the United States to offer all the American Dental Association (ADA) accredited dental specialty training programs. It is consistently rated as a top dental school in the country with strong clinical training and research exposure for dental students. Several Iowa alumni serve in leadership positions in academics and in organized dentistry.
The practice of dentistry in the United States is overseen by several agencies, including the American Dental Association, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and the regional boards. Ultimate licensure is the responsibility of individual states. There are roughly 190,000 practicing dentists in the United States.
Vijay P. Parashar, BDS, MDS, DDS, is an oral and maxillofacial radiologist working as faculty at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. Prior to joining Midwestern University as Associate Professor, Parashar was the Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences at University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, Michigan. Parashar won the 2006 Howard R. Raper and 2012 William H Rollins Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Awards given by American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Parashar received Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, Master of Dental Science from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Certification in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal. Parashar is on the scientific editorial board of peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Oral Health and Community, India Dentistry, International Journal of Oral Implantology and Clinical Research, India, and American Journal of Esthetic Dentistry, USA. Parashar's positions with ADEA include,: Chair 2010 – 2011, Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Section, Chair-elect 2009 – 2010, Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Section and Secretary 2008 – 2009, Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology Section. Parashar is currently serving on the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Oral Radiology Review Committee; ADEA Council of Faculties; National Board Dental Test Construction Committee and is a CODA Site Visitor.
Allan George Farman is a Professor of Radiology and Imaging Science, Department of Surgical and Hospital Dentistry, The University of Louisville School of Dentistry, and also serves both as Adjunct Professor of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology and as Clinical Professor of Diagnostic Radiology of the School of Medicine in the same institution.
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.
Christoffel Nortje is a South African dentist who is emeritus professor of oral and maxillofacial radiology at the Department of Diagnostics and Radiology at the University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Dentistry in Cape Town, South Africa. He was in private practice prior to joining the Department of Diagnostics and Radiology at Stellenbosch University, where he headed the department until 2005.
