Types of orthopedic dentist and their duties

Who are Orthopedic Dentists:

Orthopedic dentists focus on more complex cases; from needing to install braces to perform surgeries on mouth, bone and jaw, orthopedic dentists do everything. An orthopedic dentist uses the combine knowledge of both dentistry and orthopedics to treat his patients. 

Type of Orthopedic Dentist:

1.   Orthodontist:

The main focus of an Orthodontist is to treat the misalignment of the teeth and jaw; an Orthodontist mainly focuses on correcting the irregularities of face and elevate the beauty of our smile. To do this they employ various methods; from old times the orthodontist uses dental braces to solve issues like croaked teeth or gap between them.

The arch wire is tightened with teeth with the help of brackets; over time the teeth slowly become straight and the gap between them reduces. But in modern times wires can be an eyesore and the patient might feel confident wearing it. Which is why there are tons of options available to help with misaligned teeth or other bite issues.

Now a days the orthodontist uses Retainer or Aligner to align the teeth and the jaw. The orthodontist will also treat bite issues of the patients; both children and adults go to orthodontist to treat their teeth.

2.   Oral Surgeon:

Oral Surgeons are extremely skilled dentist who specializes in treating severe dental problems; like injury related issues or diagnosis serious dental disease and curing them. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons treat most severe cases in the oral and facial region.

Extracting teeth is also one the duties of Maxillofacial surgeons; the extracted tooth can be a bothersome wisdom tooth or a painful decayed that is too far gone to save. Surgeons also cure the overbites by surgery if it is too severe for braces. A lot of times the patients fracture their facial bones as well; in such situations the Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons perform facial reconstruction surgery that involves tissue reconstruction and bone grafts. The surgeons also perform the TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Surgery if the non-surgical options fail.

3.   Prosthodontist:

Prosthodontists are a type of orthopedic dentist who focuses mostly on restoring decayed teeth or restoring missing teeth. Dental implants are only used when the teeth are too far gone and saving it is impossible; then the dentist uses artificial teeth made from ceramic, porcelain or metal to replace the missing teeth. The Prosthodontist also install the crowns and bridges on the broken teeth. Prosthodontists also treats the cosmetic concerns of the patients by restoring the dental cracks.

4.   Periodontist:

Periodontists primarily work with teeth and gum problems. the pulp and the nerves inside the gum becomes infected and the patient go through a lot of pain.

The dentist then takes necessary action to heal the infected area; the periodontist provides non-surgical treatment options to heal the gum.

Periodontist also remove the cavities from teeth and do scaling. The periodontists mostly cure the teeth without using surgical options; if the teeth decay is too severe then a dental surgeon needs to treat it.

How to become an Orthopedic Dentist:

Going into the Orthopedic dentistry requires a lot of hard work. Here is an overview of how to become Orthopedic dentist in London.

• The first step to becoming dentist is to study in a science related field; typically, Biology or Chemistry as an undergraduate for 3 to 4 years.

• Then the students need attend dental school for at least five years in London; getting the BDS or Bachelors of Dental Surgery is vital; students learn most of the necessary skills in becoming good dentist in dental school. In these five years the students get both theoretical and practical knowledge.

• After graduating from the dental school all of the students need to go through one year of general dental practice. Its called foundation year for dental students.

• After completing the foundation year, the students are required to choose a specialization; depending on their specialization they need to attend different training program. The duration of the training program is determined by the specialization of the student. This training program consist of clinical work, training and research.

• If the student chooses to be an Oral surgeon, then he will have to attend a five-year training program. While the orthodontic student requires to attend a three years training program. Both Prosthodontic and Periodontic student also need to attend three years of training program.

• After completing their training program, the orthopedic dentist can then join the General Dental Council.

An orthopedic dentist near me in London primarily works with the teeth, jaw and the bones inside the teeth; they can also perform complex surgeries on their patients if it is necessary. Wimbledon Dentist specializes in this field of care. The term "orthopedic dentist" is not widely recognized, as specialists within the field are recognized on their own.