Specialties of Dentistry

It can be quite difficult as a patient to ascertain what type of setting is best for the care you need.  General dentistry is always a four year program after obtaining a bachelorette degree. After this, some dental graduates choose to pursue additional training.

Here is a a summary of some of these additional dental specialties:

• AEGD (Advance education in general dentistry)- a dental school based training program geared towards perfecting skills learned in dental school
• GPR (General practice residency)- a hospital based training program in which advanced training is provided in the management of traumatic injuries and medically compromised patients
• Pediatric Dentist- 2-3 years of additional training in the treatment of children, including relevant procedures, hospital based training and behavior management for special needs populations
• Endodontist- 3 years in the management and diagnosis of tooth vitality (pulp health) traumatic injuries, root canals, apicoectomies and microscopic techniques
• Periodontics- Surgical subspecialty training based out of a dental school, involving gum surgery- dental implants, gum grafting, bone grafting to regenerate  bone around teeth, and management of periodontitis
• Oral pathology- 3 years of combination hospital and dental school based training that includes the management of oral cysts and tumors, malignant and benign, extensive training in histopathology and clinical practice
• Dental anesthesiology- dental providers who pursue additional training in the administration of anesthesia, most of whom stop practicing clinical dentistry
• Oral and facial pain- diagnosis and management of oral and facial pain conditions
• Oral and Maxillofacial radiology- interpretation of Cone beam CT and spiral CT scans, panoramic and other imaging to diagnose hard tissue and soft tissue lesions of the face and jaws
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery- (In my opinion, the premiere specialty of dentistry!) which involves a blended post dental school education in the hospital and some programs (like mine) include dental schools as well. Training includes a minimum of 4 months of anesthesiology, internal medicine, general surgery, plastic surgery and ENT, ATLS certification, hospital based surgery including broken jaws, eye sockets, and cheekbones. Some oral surgeons will go on to pursue fellowship training in oral and head and neck cancer, plastic and reconstructive surgery (cosmetic facelift surgery), temperomandibular joint surgery (TMJD), and craniofacial and cleft surgery (cranial vault surgery for babies and children with congenital anomalies)

Choosing Your Dental Provider

It can be a daunting challenge to know what your provider is most educated and experienced in. One of my best answers to what oral surgeons do, as crass as it may be, is that oral surgeons for the most part perform procedures that involve bleeding (surgery). We also are the only speciality to spend time in the hospital and in the office. Oral surgeons often take hospital call and manage traumatic injuries to the teeth, face and jaws. We also frequently perform procedures that would require hospital admission. We resect pathology such as tumors of the face and jaw as well. We also are the premiere experts in removing teeth under anesthesia, as well as bone grafting and placement of dental implants.

When in doubt, ask your provider if they are comfortable with and have seen complications! Unfortunately a minority of providers will do procedures they may not be adequately trained for, attending a weekend seminar which does not convey expertise. I use the analogy of flying a plane in bad weather. Many people may be able to land a plane safely in fair skies, but what about when conditions are poor or something goes wrong? A properly trained oral and maxillofacial surgeon would never refer a complication to anyone else but is trained to manage the complications on his or her own. Always do your due diligence prior to selecting a provider!