April 30, 2007 , Los Angeles and Beverly Hills - You wouldn't go to an optician for heart surgery, would you? Then why do some people turn to their family dentist for cosmetic procedures ? Part of the problem could be a lack of understanding as to each area of specialty. Herewith, a few definitions.
GENERAL DENTIST
Your family dentist has earned a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD ( "Dentariae Medicinae Doctorae" or Doctor of Medical Dentistry) after earning a minimum of an undergraduate degree and four years of dental school. State licensing boards accept either degree as qualifying your dentist for general practice.
Additional, post-graduate training, however, is required for dental specialists, such as the following.
COSMETIC DENTIST
In brief, the primary focus of your cosmetic dentist is to create your perfect smile. Whether your problem be structural or visual, cosmetic dentist Dr. Anthony Mobasser offer a wide range of treatments. His focus is on the appearance of your entire oral cavity and its surround structures, as well as any concerns related to the prevention and treatment of oral diseases.
ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS
This specialty includes the diagnosis and surgical treatment of any injuries, diseases or defects of your mouth's hard and soft tissues. These problems can appear in your neck, face, head, jaws, as well as the tissues of your oral and maxillofacial region.
Your surgeon may help you deal with misaligned jaws, wisdom teeth and cysts or tumors of the jaw . He also may perform dental implant surgery.
ORTHODONTICS
If you or your child has had braces, you've probably spent enough time in an orthodontics office to memorize the antics of Goofus and Gallant.
By definition, orthodontists supervise, guide, and correct childhood or adult structural problems of the mouth and jaw. Your orthodontist primarily uses dental braces to move or correct the alignment of your teeth.
In order to assure perfect correction, he may recommend implant surgery, removal of some teeth and/or other remedies.
As a result, orthodontists work closely with other dental specialties. Because braces can create other problems, such as dulling of your tooth color, he may recommend you see a cosmetic dentist once the braces have been removed.
PERIODONTISTS
Periodontics encompasses the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases that attack your teeth's supporting and surrounding structure, or periodontium. This includes the gums (gingiva), jaw bone (alveolar), root cementum, and the periodontal ligament.
Periodontal diseases can be found in many different forms. Usually, however, it is the result of a bacterial infection of the gums.
If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to bone and tooth loss.
LEARN MORE
Call Dr. Mobasser today at 1.310.550.0383 or email us to schedule an appointment and learn more about treatments for tooth decay.
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