Who's Who of Dentistry

Dentistry is a profession where people are often confused about who does what, why and when. Besides the General Dental Practitioner, there are various specialists in Dentistry. Here's a short article to help sort out the various '-dontists' and what they do:

Orthodontists

This is the most common '-dontist'. Orthodontists are specialists who deal with the fitting of braces as well as other growth-modification appliances to align teeth. When they work as a team with Oral Surgeons, they also help in orthognathic surgery and cleft palates. Braces have come a long way since the days of the railroad tracks - they are now available in ceramic, transparent, or even gold-plated versions. A popular technique with working adults is the 'lingual' or invisible brace - the brackets are stuck on the back of the teeth, so the wires are hidden from view.

Periodontists

Peri=around, Odont=Tooth; Periodontists are the specialists who look after the gums and surrounding bone of the teeth. They aim to keep teeth in a healthy bed of periodontium for as long as possible. Common diseases such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (spread of inflammation to the underlying bone) are their areas of concern.
Besides cleaning and surgical sculpting, they also perform surgery to add lost bone and gums. Did you know that there are links between gum diseases and systemic conditions such as diabetes and heart diseases?

Conservative Dentists (Operative Dentists)

No, not Condontists... These Cons (yes, that's the actual term we use in the industry) people also call themselves operative dentists (different from oral surgeons). The 'operative' work they do involve fillings, crowns, inlays, onlays - essentially replacing lost tooth structure by artificial filling materials. Technology today has provided for a wealth of materials for dentists to choose - from tooth-coloured fillings to flouride-releasing ones. Of course, the faithful silver amalgam fillings are still being used. These dentists also do cosmetic work like bleaching of teeth. Once retired, we call them ex-Cons (just kidding).

Paedodontists

Paedodontists specialise in Children's Dentistry. The deciduous teeth are somewhat different from the adult ones, and paedodontists are also trained to manage a young patient in the dental chair. Of course, the more recalcitrant patients have to be put under General Anaesthesia for work to be done.

Endodontists

The oft-dreaded Root Canal is the specialty of the Endodontists. They are the ones who can maneuvre their instruments through the tortuous canals of tooth roots to clean them out and fill them, so the tooth may be saved. They also perform minor surgery to amputate the tips of roots that may be refractory to conventional treatment. A popular misconception is that Root Canal Treatment is painful. It isn't - it just takes a long time to complete.

Prosthodontists

Prosthetic Dentistry is the science and art of replacing missing components of the mouth, be it teeth or parts of the jaw. Their main work is crowns, bridges, implants and dentures, but they also have a cosmetic element to their work in the form of veneers and such. A subspecialised branch is Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, which is concerned with replacement parts for eyes, ears, noses and jaws.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Oral Surgeons for short)

This mouthful of a name is used for those dentists who have been trained in surgery of the jaws. Though most of the work is removal of wisdom teeth, they also treat fractures of the jaws, perform orthognathic, cyst and tumour surgery, cleft palate work, place dental osseointegrated implants, and generally cover the Oral Medicine work as well (Oral Medicine
includes such things as Lichen Planus, ulcers, SLE, etc) This group is also the one you see 'on call' in hospitals or doing ward rounds.

Dental Public Health

These dentists are armed with computers and calculators rather than mouth mirrors and drills. They help collect data on dmft (decayed, missing and filled teeth) and other indices of dental health, and help formulate policies.

I hope that this short introduction has helped in defining the who's who of dentistry.