Why Do We Refer to Dental Specialists

dental implants

Described are dental specialisations

There are two types of dentists: regular dentists and dental specialists.

With a university degree in general dentistry, general dentists are qualified to provide a wide variety of dental services, including routine exams, teeth cleaning, tooth restoration, and gum care. Like your family doctor is for your general medical problems, you should see the dentist as soon as possible if you have any general tooth and mouth issues.

When a patient is in need of a second opinion or has a complicated dental issue, general dentists will gladly refer them to experts. In order to give each patient with complete and individualised treatment, general dentists and specialists collaborate as a team.

Dental specialists have a general dental degree in addition to a second, postgraduate university degree in a specific area of dentistry that is at least three years long. Oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, endodontics, paediatric dentistry, periodontics, and prosthodontics are among the 13 dental specialisations available in Australia.

As opposed to a general dentist with a “special interest” in a certain area, it is crucial to confirm that your dental specialist is really listed as a specialist with the Dental Board of Australia. Although the terminology used by different physicians might be confusing, it is simple to verify a practitioner’s actual credentials on the website of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

All of the general and specialist dentists at Smile Solutions collaborate in the same cosy CBD location at Collins Street Specialist Centre, not only for the patient’s convenience but also to ensure the highest level of integrated clinical care. Smile Solutions is both a general practise and a dental specialist clinic.

dental and facial surgeon

A complicated speciality that integrates dentistry, medicine, and surgery is oral and maxillofacial surgery. Aesthetic reconstruction, deformities, and other disorders involving the teeth, mouth, face, and jaw are all dealt with surgically in this specialisation.

The oral and maxillofacial surgery training programme in Australia is broad and demanding. The majority of training programmes take 16 years to complete on average and include university, hospital, and college-based training. Before beginning their surgical training, these professionals must earn both a medical and a dental degree. Currently, Australia has just over 200 registered oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

For the following reasons, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon could recommend you:

  • Getting wisdom teeth removed
  • dental extractions that don’t need surgery
  • tooth exposure and transplanting
  • dental implants are put in to replace lost teeth.
  • Any augmentation operation, such as grafting, that is required to prepare the region
  • Orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery for asymmetry in the face, sleep apnea, and bite issues
  • facial injuries, such as jaw, cheek, eye socket, nose, and forehead fractures
  • Cleft and craniofacial deformity surgical repair
  • tumours and cysts of the head, neck, jaws, and mouth
  • Surgery is necessary to treat the discomfort and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
  • face prosthetics using osseointegrated (bone fused) craniofacial implants (nose, eyes and ears).
  • Orthodontist with expertise

Orthodontists are specialists in issues related to tooth alignment and bite. Only an expert orthodontist can provide you with reliable and knowledgeable advice on the best orthodontic alternatives for your teeth to help you get the smile and bite you want.The Australian Health and Practitioner Regulation Agency requires specialised orthodontists to be registered as holders of both a dental degree and a master’s degree in orthodontics (AHPRA).

An orthodontist may be recommended to you for

  • straightening of teeth
  • issues with the bite and uneven jaw development

Endodontist with expertise

Treatment of the tooth pulp, which has a blood supply and nerves, as well as the tissues that surround the tooth root, is the main goal of endodontics (s).

Specialist endodontists possess both a postgraduate degree in endodontics and a degree in general dentistry. The latter requires an additional three to four years of advanced endodontics-focused study.

Retreatment of a root canal and other endodontic procedures

  • Cracked tooth care and management
  • dental trauma treatment
  • treatment for tooth pulp that is ill or damaged
  • Whitening teeth from inside
  • Paedodontist with expertise

Pediatric dentistry is a subspecialty of dentistry that offers complete dental healthcare to kids of all ages, from infants to teenagers. A paediatric dentist concentrates on the growth, development, and treatment of baby teeth and newly erupted adult teeth in children as well as on decay prevention.

In addition to their general dentistry degree, a registered specialist paediatric dentist spends an additional three to four years in school to get a master’s degree or a comparable degree in paediatric dentistry.

You could suggest your kid see a paediatric dentist for

  • A mouth or teeth injury; very crowded teeth; issues with maintaining their own oral hygiene at home;
  • early-onset visible deterioration (2-4 years old);
  • many severe cavities;
  • If they have a phobia of the dentist, a severe toothache, cheek or gum swelling, or any other behavioural specific requirements, you should tell your dentist.
  • periodontist with expertise
  • A periodontist is a dentist that specialises in bone grafting, gum lifts, dental implants, and the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease, also known as gum disease.
  • In addition to their normal dental training, periodontists spend an additional three to four years in school to get a master’s degree or similar specialised training.
  • For implant surgery to replace lost teeth or teeth that cannot be salvaged using traditional methods, a periodontist may recommend you.
  • Bone augmentation or bone grafting
  • Gum lift

Prosthodontist with expertise

A prosthodontist is an expert in replacing and restoring teeth. The dynamics of a smile, the maintenance of a healthy mouth, and the production of replacement teeth and jaws—crowns, bridges, veneers, implants, and dentures—are all subject areas they have a thorough awareness of. Prosthodontists complete an additional three years of specialised study to get a Masters Degree in Prosthodontics after successfully completing a four to five year dental degree with honours. Dental technicians and prosthodontists collaborate closely to create personalised prostheses that are both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable enough to wear every day.

For the following dental procedures, a prosthodontist could recommend you

  • placing fully fixed crowns or bridges on teeth; covering flaws with veneers that match your tooth’s colour
  • teeth that have been harmed by erosion, trauma, decay, or ordinary wear and tear
  • Using bonding technology, teeth may be shaped differently or gaps can be filled.
  • Cosmetic dentistry may whiten and enhance your smile by bleaching stained teeth.
  • Treatment and reconstruction of the teeth and jaws for patients with severe injuries, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), congenital deformities such cleft palate, and sophisticated restorations for those who have had treatment for head and neck cancer.
  • Both a general office and a dental speciality clinic are located at Smile SolutionsContact Us.
  • Call our dental expert clinic at any time, whether you have simple or complicated demands. We will place you in a practitioner’s capable, compassionate hands.