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 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.
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 Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine (CSDM) is a graduate school of Case Western Reserve University. It is an American dental school located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Case School of Dental Medicine is a clinically oriented dental school. It has been ranked consistently high with its affiliated medical school. Admission to Case Dental School has an acceptance rate of 2.1%. Over 3700 applications for admission are received every year, and 300 applicants are interviewed for the limited 75 positions. The most recently admitted class had a mean undergraduate GPA of 3.61 and a mean DAT of 20.
William Herbert Rollins was an American scientist, inventor, and dentist. He was a pioneer in radiation protection. Many of his inventions and investigations in medical radiography and photography have been ranked in importance with those of Thomas A. Edison, Elihu Thomson, and William J. Morton.
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is a non-profit organization that works to further the education of dental professionals and the advancement of academic dental programs in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1923 as the American Association of Dental Schools, ADEA is based in Washington, D.C.
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.
The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, often abbreviated CDM, is one of the 21 graduate and professional schools of Columbia University. It is located at 630 West 168th Street in Manhattan, New York City. According to American Dental Education Association, CDM is one of the most selective dental schools in the United States based on average DAT score, GPA, and acceptance rate. In 2017, 1,657 people applied for 84 positions in its entering class. The median undergraduate GPA and average DAT score for successful applicants in 2020 were 3.62 and 22.8, respectively.
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.
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.
A panoramic radiograph is a panoramic scanning dental X-ray of the upper and lower jaw. It shows a two-dimensional view of a half-circle from ear to ear. Panoramic radiography is a form of focal plane tomography; thus, images of multiple planes are taken to make up the composite panoramic image, where the maxilla and mandible are in the focal trough and the structures that are superficial and deep to the trough are blurred.
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.
Kurt H. Thoma was an American Oral Surgeon known as the founder of the American Board of Oral Pathology. He was also the Editor-in-chief for the Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology Journal for 22 years. To many Kurt was recognized as the Father of Oral and maxillofacial pathology and the defender of Oral and maxillofacial surgery and a great teacher of Oral medicine.
Parish P. Sedghizadeh is a clinician-scientist, and a clinical and surgical oral and maxillofacial pathologist. He is a Professor of Clinical Dentistry, and Section Chair of Diagnostic Sciences in the Division of Periodontology, Diagnostic Sciences & Dental Hygiene at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California. He is also the Director of the Oral Pathology and Radiology Distance Learning Program at the University of Southern California.
