What does a dentist exactly do?

Eliminate tooth build-up or decay. The American Dental Association recommends that dental visits begin no later than when a child is one year old to establish a “dental home.” Dentists can provide guidance to children and parents, provide preventive oral health services, and diagnose and treat dental diseases in their earliest stages. This ongoing dental care will help both children and adults maintain optimal oral health throughout their lives. A dentist plays many important roles in maintaining oral health.

Check-ups are an important part of the job and are important for keeping patients aware of their oral care. In addition to general checkups, general dentistry includes basic treatments that can be performed in a regular dental office. These procedures may include filling a tooth, performing a minor surgical procedure, such as removing a tooth, and cleaning and polishing the teeth. The dentist or dental hygienist will use instruments to remove any hardened plaque (called tartar).

Certified dentists can diagnose and treat oral health conditions of the teeth, gums, tongue and mouth. Oral health is essential to the overall health of the body and a dentist will encourage and help their patients maintain a healthy mouth through regular cleanings and checkups. Like most careers in the healthcare industry, a dentist must be caring and compassionate, as well as intelligent and competent. The American Dental Association believes that it is essential to better understand the intensive academic and clinical education that dentists undergo, their role in providing oral health care and, most importantly, the extent to which dental diseases can be almost completely prevented to ensure that more dental diseases can be prevented to ensure that more Americans enjoy the lifelong benefits of good oral health.

For the past two years, dentists have been working with patients under the supervision of a licensed dental school. Of the approximately 150,000 dentists currently practicing dentistry in North America, about 80 percent have the distinction of being labeled as general dentists. Pediatric dentists can detect, treat and refer, as needed, any problems related to decayed, missing, crowded, or crooked teeth. In addition, the general dentist will be able to perform a wide range of services and often it is not even necessary to see a specialist.

After earning their undergraduate and dental degrees (eight years for most), many dentists continue their education and training to become certified in one of the nine recognized dental specialties. Since many people are afraid to go to a dental office for treatment, it is in the best interest of the dentist to be good with people and to be able to calm them down and explain procedures to them in a simple way. Dentists recommend routine teeth cleaning to keep gum tissue healthy and prevent periodontal disease. The exact procedures performed by the general dentist are at the discretion of that particular dentist.

Dentists usually go to college for a predentistry or premedical degree before going to graduate school in dentistry.