Dentistry

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:This article is about the dental profession. For tooth care, see oral hygiene.

Image:Dental surgery aboard USS Eisenhower, January 1990.JPEG
A Dentist and Dental Assistant perform surgery on a patient.

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Image:Dental x-ray.jpg
Radiographs (X-ray films) can reveal if a person has cavities, bone disease or other abnormalities.

Dentistry is the art and science of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions, diseases, and disorders of the oral cavity, the maxillofacial region, and its associated structures as it relates to human beings. A dentist is qualified to practice dentistry after graduating with a degree of (D.D.S.) Doctor of Dental Surgery or (D.M.D.) Doctor of Dental Medicine in the US. In most countries, to become a qualified dentist you must usually complete at least 8 years of study; an undergraduate degree at the university level and 4 years doctoral training. At least 2 years practical experience working with patients in the educational setting during the last two years of doctoral training are required. The patron saint of dentists is Saint Apollonia, martyred in Alexandria by having all her teeth violently taken out.

The first dental school, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, opened in Baltimore, Maryland in 1840. Harvard Dental School was the first dental school to affiliate with a university in 1867 (renamed Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1940.)

Contents

[edit] General dentistry

General Dental Practice includes most examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment, and prevention of disease. The dentist and with the aide of other dental auxiliaries frequently uses X-rays, oral examination and other equipment to ensure correct diagnosis and treatment planning. Treatment may include filling dental cavities, removing the nerves of teeth (R.C.T or Root Canal Treatment), treating diseases of the gums, removing teeth (Extraction), and replacing lost teeth with bridges and dentures (Dental Plates). Anesthesia is often used in any treatment that might cause pain. Teeth may be filled with gold, silver, amalgam, or cements, and with fused porcelain inlays. Dentists treat diseases of the mouth and gums such as trench mouth and Periodontitis. An important part of general dental practice is preventive dentistry. If a dentist examines a patient's teeth at regular intervals, a disease may be detected and treated before it becomes serious. Dentists also demonstrate proper methods of brushing and flossing the teeth. They may advise their patients about what food to eat or to avoid for good dental health. Dentists may also treat teeth with Fluorides or other substances to prevent decay.

[edit] Specialties

In addition to general dentistry, there are nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association and require 2-6 years of residency training after dental school. The specialties are:

Specialists in these fields are designated registrable (U.S. "Board Eligible") and warrant exclusive titles such as orthodontist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, endodontist, pedodontist, periodontist, or prosthodontist upon satisfying certain local (U.S. "Board Certified") registry requirements.

Two other post-graduate formal advanced education programs: General Practice Residency (advanced clinical and didactic training with intense hospital experience) and Advanced Education in General Dentistry (advanced training in clinical dentistry) recognized by the ADA do not lead to specialization.

Other dental education exists where no post-graduate formal university training is required: cosmetic dentistry, dental implant, temporo-mandibular joint therapy. These usually require the attendance of one or more continuing education courses that typically last for one to several days. There are restrictions on allowing these dentists to call themselves specialists in these fields. The specialist titles are registrable titles and controlled by the local dental licensing bodies.

Forensic odontology consists of the gathering and use of dental evidence in law. This may be performed by any dentist with experience or training in this field. The function of the forensic dentist is primarily documentation and verification of identity.

Geriatric dentistry or geriodontics is the delivery of dental care to older adults involving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of problems associated with normal aging and age-related diseases as part of an interdisciplinary team with other health care professionals.

Veterinary dentistry, a specialty of veterinary medicine, is the field of dentistry applied to the care of animals [1][2].

[edit] History

Image:Johann Liss 002.jpg
Farmer at the dentist, Johann Liss, c. 1616-17.

In 2001, archaeologists studying the remains of two men from Mehrgarh, Pakistan made the discovery that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization, even from the early Harappan periods (c. 3300 BC), had knowledge of medicine and dentistry. The physical anthropologist that carried out the examinations, Professor Andrea Cucina from the University of Missouri-Columbia, made the discovery when he was cleaning the teeth from one of the men. Later research in the same area found evidence of teeth having been drilled, dating back 9,000 years.[3]

Some information contained in the Edwin Smith Papyrus dates as early as 3000 BC and includes the treatment of several dental ailments. [4][5] Hammurabi's Code contains some references to dental procedures and fees[6]. The Ebers papyrus also discusses similar treatments.[7] Examining the remains of some ancient Egyptians and Greco-Romans reveal early attempts at dental prosthetics and surgery.[8]

Image:Medieval dentistry.jpg
Medieval dentist extracting a tooth. London; c. 1360-75.

Historically, dental extractions have been used to treat a variety of illnesses. During the Middle Ages and through the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession into itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians. Barbers usually limited their practice to extracting teeth, which not only resulted in the alleviation of pain, but often cured a variety of ailments linked with chronic tooth infection. Instruments used for dental extractions date back several centuries. In the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac invented the dental pelican (resembling a pelican's beak) which was used through the late 18th century. The pelican was replaced by the dental key which, in turn, was replaced by modern forceps in the 20th century.Template:Fact

It is said that the 17th century french physician Pierre Fauchard started dentistry science as we know it today, hence he was named "the father of modern dentistry". Among many of his developments were, the extensive use of dental prosthesis, introduced dental fillings as treatment for dental cavities and stated sugar derivate acids like tartaric acid were responsible of dental decay.

[edit] Dentistry throughout the world

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In many countries, training in dentistry requires continuing education after high school and college. Degrees earned by dental graduates may give them the title, B.D.S (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), as is the case in Australia, Hong Kong, India, and the United Kingdom. Other countries, such as the United States and Sweden, may give D.D.S (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degrees. Licensure to practice and scope of permissible dental treatments are defined by various laws within a country. This includes the training required to practice specialized fields of dentistry.

[edit] Related dental topics

Image:ToothSection.jpg
Cross section of a tooth

[edit] Organizations

[edit] Australia

  • Australian Dental Association [9]
  • Australian Dental Council [10]
  • Dental Board of New South Wales
  • Dental Board of ACT
  • Dental Board of Queensland
  • Dental Board of Western Australia
  • Dental Board of South Australia
  • Dental Practice Board of Victoria [11]
  • Australian Society of Endodontics
  • Australian Society of Periodontics
  • Australian Society of Special Care in Dentistry
  • Melbourne Dental Student Society [12]
  • Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons [13]

[edit] Canada

[edit] Costa Rica

  • Colegio de Cirujanos Dentistas de Costa Rica [18]
  • Universidad de Costa Rica: Facultad Odontologica [19]
  • Universidad Latina de Costa Rica [20]

[edit] Hong Kong

  • Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong [21]
  • The Hong Kong Dental Association [22]
  • The Dental Council of Hong Kong [23]

[edit] India

  • Indian Dental Association [24]
  • Indian Orthodontic Society [25]

[edit] Macedonia

  • Dental Chamber of Macedonia [26]
  • Faculty of Dentistry, Skopje [27]

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • Malta Association of Dental Students [28]
  • American Veterinary Dental College [29]
  • European Veterinary Dental College [30]

[edit] Netherlands

  • Associatie Nederlandse Tandartsen (ANT) [31]
  • Nederlandse Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Tandheelkunde (NMT) [32]
  • Dutch association of dental hygienists (NVM) [33]
  • Dutch association of denturists (ONT) [34]
  • Dutch association of wholesalers in dentistry (VGT) [35]

[edit] Slovakia

  • Slovak Chamber of Dentists [36]
  • Association of Dental Hygienists in Slovak Republic [37]
  • Slovak Chamber of Dental Technicians [38]

[edit] Taiwan

  • Taiwan Dental Association [39]
  • Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China [40]
  • Taipei Dental Association [41]
  • Taichung Dental Association [42]
  • Kaohsiung Dental Association [43]
  • Taiwan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry [44]
  • ROC Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons [45]
  • Taiwan Association of Orthodontists [46]

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] United States

[edit] External links

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