It can be tricky to decide the type of dentist you should be seeing for your oral complaints because many of them seem to have different qualifications. While some are simply house officers working under the supervision of other senior doctors, others have specific designations imprinted on their coats. Therefore, it is quite a common query as to what each of these designations means and whether you should see someone specific for your dental treatment.
DDS and DMD
DDS is a dentist who has a qualification for Doctor of Dental Surgery, whereas the one with the qualification DMD stands for Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry. Although the names are different, the implication is the same for both people, and the difference is only in the name of the degree which is given to students by their universities. Therefore, it can be said that dentists with DDS and DMD are totally the same and provide similar services such as preventative care for your oral health and diagnosing different oral issues such as gum diseases or cavities.
After the primary health providers such as these dentists come the specialized dentists who have done specialized courses in a specific area of dentistry and have received ample training in such procedures.
Below are some of the fields in which dentists specialize by giving their times of atleast two to three years.
Orthodontist
An orthodontist is a dentist who deals particularly with problems pertaining to misalignment of the jaw or teeth. For instance, you may be referred to an orthodontist if your teeth are missing, broken, extra, or misaligned. Your orthodontist will then be responsible for treating your case with either braces or retainers.
Pediatric Dentists
Also known more commonly as the pedodontist, these people specialize in dealing with children regarding their oral health care and related procedures, if needed. Much of the work of these dentists is grounded in child psychology, where these professionals are taught to build healthy relationships with their pediatric patients so that they can instill good oral care habits in them and encourage them for regular dental checkups.
Endodontist
An endodontist is a dental professional who specializes in relieving their patients’ tooth pain by performing a root canal. The root canal is a dental treatment that is focused on treating the original tooth of the patient instead of replacing it with a dental implant.
Do you have any questions? Contact River Valley Smile Center today at 479.646.0706.
