DENTIST

OverviewDetailsEducationRelated / Links
Related / Links
Other related careers:

Primary care physician
Physician – all other
Professional Associations
American Dental Association

Nebraska Dental Association

American Dental Education Association

Career information adapted in part from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, Dentists, on the Internet at www.bls.gov

Overview
Dentists diagnose, prevent, and treat problems of the teeth and tissues of the mouth. They remove decay and fill cavities, examine x-rays, place protective plastic sealants on children’s teeth, straighten teeth, and repair fractured teeth. They also perform corrective surgery of the gums and supporting bones to treat gum diseases. Dentists extract teeth and make molds and measurements for dentures to replace missing teeth.

Most dentists are general practitioners, handling a variety of dental needs. Other dentists practice in any of nine specialty areas:

Endodontics – root canal and related therapy
Oral/maxillofacial surgery – surgery of the mouth and jaw
Oral pathology – investigating the cause, process, and effect of dental disease
Orthodontics – correction of teeth placement and facial structures
Pediatric dentistry – for infants through adolescents
Periodontics – treatment with artificial teeth and dentures
Public health dentistry – preventing and controlling dental disease

Filed under: Uncategorized

Tags: Dentistry