While both general dentists and dental specialists are a key part of your oral maintenance and health, dental specialists are crucial for any lifetime dental care plan. Dental technology has advanced enormously in the last few decades, and patients are now able to receive highly specialized care which general dentists won’t necessarily have the ability to provide. This has resulted in a growing need for closer-knit relationships between dentists and dental specialists.
General dentists are able to identify many oral health problems and perform a wide range of procedures and dental services, but in some cases a specialist’s expertise is required so that complex and advanced procedures can be performed. At Eriks Dental Group, our dental office specializes in multiple oral specialties.
When Do You Need To See A Specialist?
Both general dentists and dental specialists play a pivotal role in the maintenance of your oral health, there are benefits to seeing one over the other. Often a visit to a general dentist is just what you need, but sometimes you require specialized care. The advantages of seeing one over the other are based on the complexity and types of treatments and procedures required. Specialists have advanced knowledge and practiced skill sets for individual areas of dentistry, giving patients the highest quality of care.
A general dentist is qualified to do all kinds of basic dental care, and deliver services, procedures, and treatments that don’t require specialized skill sets. Their treatment generally costs less as they are routine in nature. General dentists will refer you to a specialist to gain a second opinion on your oral health or when you require complex procedures that need more knowledge and skill than they have been trained to provide.
Specialists cover narrow fields of dentistry and provide a wider scope of care, have more responsibilities, and have a deeper knowledge of the area they focus on.
Types Of Specialists
The American Dental Association (ADA) currently recognizes twelve dental specialties. The most common or well-known of these include:
Endodontics
This branch of dentistry deals with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human dental pulp and periradicular tissues. In simpler to understand terms, they are root canal specialists. Endodontists treat the sick, dead, inflamed or infected nerve of a tooth which can cause excruciating pain.
Prosthodontics
This field of specialists makes prostheses (replacement teeth), which are removable or non-removable, for patients who are missing some or all of their teeth. These can be porcelain crowns and bridges, partial dentures, or full dentures. Prosthodontists also build specialized dentures for patients who have lost part of their jawbone, whether from an accident, cancer, or a physical defect.
Periodontics
This specialty deals with the gums, bone, and tissues which support the teeth. When a patient experiences bone loss around a tooth, the tooth is not supported correctly, becomes mobile, and will eventually be lost completely. A periodontist will deep clean the teeth and surrounding gums, and then treat any diseased areas in the mouth. They are specifically trained to save teeth as far as possible by reducing excess gums, leveling out the gums for esthetics, adding gum grafts to areas that lack tissue, bone grafting on areas lacking bone, extracting teeth that cannot be salvaged, and performing biopsies on tissue areas needing attention.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics used to just encompass the placement and removal of braces on children and adults in order to straighten their teeth, but now the field includes dentofacial orthopedics as well. This means that orthodontists correct misalignments and malocclusions in order to restore or maintain a good bite. The bite is the way the upper and lower sets of teeth come together. Ideally, you bite with the front teeth and chew with the back teeth. With a bad bite, the tooth structure can wear out the wrong way or break entirely.
Erik endodontists and periodontists on hand to help keep your teeth and gums at their healthiest.
Benefits Of Having Specialists On Staff
The saying “when it rains, it pours,” could easily have been coined by someone who has a cavity at the same time their child needs braces and spouse needs a new crown. When this happens, you typically find yourself driving all around town to see different types of dental specialists. A multi-specialty dental office, like that at Eriks Dental Group, allows you and your family to receive dental care at one convenient location.
In addition to convenience, a team of dental specialists practicing under the same roof brings numerous benefits. These include:
A Team Approach
While a dental check-up and routine cleaning might be all you need, sometimes additional work is required. At Eriks Dental Group, we can refer you to an in-house specialist. This saves you the trouble of traveling to a new dental office, transferring dental records, or sorting out dental insurance with a new company. A multi-specialist dental team is used to working together. They can easily share patients’ records and history – meaning a less stressful time for the patient, as well as removing the need to repeat diagnostic tests.
Combined Talent
Specialists often seek a second opinion or work together on difficult or unique cases. Sometimes a tooth extraction is needed before braces can be fitted. Also, specific dental work cannot be done until oral surgery is performed. The convenience of a multi-specialist practice gives them the chance to consult each other and share knowledge and expertise; all with one common goal: excellent patient care.
Services For Your Entire Family
A multi-specialist dental practice allows you to schedule multiple appointments at the same time. This saves you the trouble of traveling back and forth between your home and the dental office. For example; you can schedule your child to see a general dentist on the same day you visit an endodontic specialist.
Eriks Dental Group: The Dentist Office For All Your Oral Health Needs
A Eriks Dental Group, we have a range of specialists. All of them are ready to help you and your family with all your dental needs. Our years of experience have made us the number one choice for dental care in the Boynton Beach area.
Whether you need a routine check-up or highly specialized care; contact us at 561-733-4004. Set up an appointment at our dental office with one of our trained specialists, today.