Many people desire to get into the healthcare field for a variety of reasons. Some want to learn how to treat dental problems. These prospective students often wonder what the differences are between a general dentist vs. cosmetic dentist. They also want information on the specific role and treatments each of these two dental specialists will have on their patients’ dental care over the course of the patients’ lifetime.
What Are the Differences in Cosmetic Dentistry and General Dentistry educational requirements?
All general dentists are required to get a doctoral degree, and they will need to pass their state’s specific licensing training and skill requirements. Many general dentists also will complete an additional residency training program to pursue any advanced educational sub-specialty program requirements. For example, a general dentist might also complete the educational requirements for performing orthodontic or even cosmetic dentistry procedures. There can be various benefits to a dentist offering more than one specialty. Farmington Hills dentist, Dr.Karanth, DDS has done both and she really enjoys being able to handle the total care of a person’s dental needs. By keeping most everything under one roof, she thinks it makes it much easier on both the patient and the dentist to create a complete treatment course based on the patients’ individual needs.
Cosmetic dentists must also successfully complete a doctor of dental medicine degree orDDM. They might also receive a doctor of dental surgery degree also abbreviated as a DDS degree. This dental specialist must also successfully complete an additional postgraduate styled program in aesthetic, restorative and/or cosmetic dentistry accredited program options. Additionally, cosmetic dentists need to stay abreast of new advances in their field by participating in continuing education and certification program requirements. Cosmetic dentists often treat complex dental related procedures to repair birth defects, accidental injuries and other disfigurements that involve the mouth, teeth, jaw and other related structures.
What Role and Specific Treatments Do Cosmetic Dentists Perform?
A cosmetic dentist should have deep compassion for individuals who are struggling with abnormal dental/oral issues that may be embarrassing, painful or otherwise undesirable. A cosmetic dentist can help trauma injured patients restore theirnormal teeth and supportive oral/dental structures following an event like afall or a motor vehicle accident that affects the mouth region. These highlytrained dental specialists also help patients achieve the smile that they havelong been dreaming about. Dentists that specialize in cosmetic dentistry areable to come up with a workable dental treatment plan and implement the plan aswell. Some frequently performed dental treatments cosmetic dentists can doinclude:
- Replace or Repair Broken, Worn-Down and Decayed Teeth
- Create and Place Dental Crowns, Bridges and Caps
- Perform a Variety of Dental Aesthetic Procedures like Teeth Whitening
- Denture Services
- Dental Implants and more.
WhatSpecific Treatments or Roles Do General Dentists Perform?
A general dentist is trained to perform general dentistry treatments and procedures on patients from younger children to senior adults and more. This type of dental practice often also includes some dental specialty procedures depending on the staff’s combined educational training. For instance, a general dentist with advanced dental skills for pediatric patients, another with orthodontic training and a dental expert trained to perform/fit sleep apnea dental devices could all work in the same dental practice. The role of the general dentist involves preventative dental measures and treatments like root canals, dental fillings, simple tooth restructuring and more. Other specialty areas that general dentists might receive additional training for includes:
- Pediatric or Geriatric Dentistry Procedures
- Oral Surgeries like Tooth Extraction, Wisdom Teeth Removals
- Preventative Dental Care, Education and more.
General dentists and cosmetic dental experts must undergo specific educational and training requirements. Both of these dental care professionals play an important role in each patient’s current and future dental care needs.
