Dentistry

An oral surgeon and dental assistant removing a wisdom tooth

Dentistry: A Comprehensive Overview

Dentistry, interchangeably referred to as Dental and Oral Medicine, stands as a pivotal branch of medicine dedicated to the comprehensive care and understanding of the mouth. Not limited merely to the teeth, or dentition, this specialty encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions, diseases, and disorders affecting both the oral mucosa and the surrounding maxillofacial structures.

Introduction

Emerging from ancient practices of tooth extractions and replacements, Dentistry has matured into a sophisticated medical field. Today, it not only emphasizes the prevention and treatment of oral diseases but also accentuates the aesthetics and functional aspects of the oral-facial region.

Branches of Dentistry

Given the complexity and variety of conditions associated with the mouth and surrounding structures, dentistry has evolved into various sub-disciplines, each focusing on specific areas of oral health:

• Conservative dentistry and endodontics: concentrates on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases or injuries to the tooth pulp and associated peri-radicular conditions.
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery: specializes in surgical procedures involving the mouth, jaws, face, and neck.
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics: focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of malpositioned teeth and jaws.
• Pedodontics/pediatric dentistry: provides comprehensive oral health care for children from infancy through adolescence.
• Periodontics: deals with diseases and conditions of the supporting structures of teeth, including the gums and bone.
• Prosthodontics: the design, manufacture, and fitting of artificial replacements for teeth and other parts of the mouth.
• Oral medicine and radiology: concerns with the clinical diagnosis and non-surgical management of non-dental pathologies affecting the oral and maxillofacial region.
• Public health dentistry: promotes oral health through organized community efforts.
• Oral pathology and microbiology: investigates the causes, effects, and processes of oral diseases.
• Cosmetic/aesthetic dentistry: enhances the appearance of the mouth and teeth, mainly through dental procedures.

Role of Dentistry in Health

Dentistry plays a crucial role in overall health. The oral cavity serves as a gateway to the body, and many systemic diseases can manifest initial symptoms here or can be influenced by oral health. Conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even pregnancy outcomes can be intertwined with oral health.

Thus, dentists and dental professionals not only repair and maintain teeth but also play a significant role in patients' broader health spectrum, emphasizing prevention, early detection, and management of oral diseases in relation to overall health.

List of Dentists (USA)

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

US territories

• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands
• District of Columbia

Common dental terms

• abrasion. - noun erosion by friction;. an abraded area where the skin is torn or worn off

• abutment. - noun a masonry support that touches and directly receives thrust or pressure of an arch or bridge

• agar. - noun a colloidal extract of algae; used especially in culture media and as a gelling agent in foods;. any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent

• alginic acid. - noun a gum used especially as a thickener or emulsifier

• alveolar process. - noun a ridge that forms the borders of the upper and lower jaws and contains the sockets of the teeth

• alveolar ridge. - noun a ridge that forms the borders of the upper and lower jaws and contains the sockets of the teeth

• amalgam. - noun a combination or blend of diverse things;. an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams

• anchorage. - noun the act of anchoring;. place for vessels to anchor;. a city in south central Alaska;. a fee for anchoring;. the condition of being secured to a base

• ankyloglossia. - noun a congenital anomaly in which the mucous membrane under the tongue is too short limiting the mobility of the tongue

• articulator. - noun a movable speech organ;. someone who pronounces words

• bangalore. - noun an industrial city in south central India (west of Chennai)

• bass. - adj. having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range;. noun nontechnical name for any of numerous edible marine and freshwater spiny-finned fishes;. the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments;. the lowest part of the musical range;. the lowest adult male singing voice;. the lowest part in polyphonic music;. an adult male singer with the lowest voice;. any of various North American freshwater fish with lean flesh (especially of the genus Micropterus);. the lean flesh of a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae

• bone. - adj. consisting of or made up of bone;. noun a shade of white the color of bleached bones;. rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates;. the porous calcified substance from which bones are made;. verb remove the bones from;. study intensively, as before an exam

• bruxism. - noun involuntarily or unconsciously clenching or grinding the teeth, typically during sleep

• calcium hydroxide. - noun a caustic substance produced by heating limestone

• calculus. - noun the branch of mathematics that is concerned with limits and with the differentiation and integration of functions;. a hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts; found in hollow organs or ducts of the body;. an incrustation that forms on the teeth and gums

• cementum. - noun a specialized bony substance covering the root of a tooth

• cheek. - noun either side of the face below the eyes;. impudent aggressiveness;. either of the two large fleshy masses of muscular tissue that form the human rump;. an impudent statement;. verb speak impudently to

• cheilitis. - noun inflammation and cracking of the skin of the lips

• chewing. - noun biting and grinding food in your mouth so it becomes soft enough to swallow

• chlorhexidine. - noun a long-lasting liquid antiseptic; used by surgeons to wash their hands before performing surgery

• cingulum. - noun (anatomy) an encircling structure (as the ridge around the base of a tooth)

• cosmetic dentistry. - noun the branch of dentistry dealing with the appearance of the teeth

• crown. - noun the part of a hat (the vertex) that covers the crown of the head;. an ornamental jewelled headdress signifying sovereignty;. a wreath or garland worn on the head to signify victory;. the center of a cambered road;. the part of a tooth above the gum that is covered with enamel;. the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy;. the upper branches and leaves of a tree;. an English coin worth 5 shillings;. the top of the head;. the award given to the champion;. the top point of a mountain or hill;. verb be the culminating event;. put an enamel cover on;. invest with regal power; enthrone;. form the topmost part of

• darier's disease. - noun a rare hereditary condition marked by dark crusted patches (sometimes containing pus)

• debridement. - noun surgical removal of foreign material and dead tissue from a wound in order to prevent infection and promote healing

• dental. - adj. of or relating to the teeth;. of or relating to dentistry;. noun a consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue near the gum ridge

• dental anatomy. - noun the branch of gross anatomy concerning with the morphology of teeth

• dental assistant. - noun an assistant to a dentist

• dental care. - noun care for the teeth

• dental floss. - noun a soft thread for cleaning the spaces between the teeth

• dental hygienist. - noun someone trained to provide preventive dental service (cleaning teeth or taking x-rays)

• dental implant. - noun an implant that replaces a natural tooth

• dental school. - noun a graduate school offering study leading to degrees in dentistry

• dental surgery. - noun the branch of dentistry involving surgical procedures

• dental technician. - noun someone who makes dental appliances (bridges and dentures)

• dentifrice. - noun a substance for cleaning the teeth; applied with a toothbrush

• dentist. - noun a person qualified to practice dentistry

• dentistry. - noun the branch of medicine dealing with the anatomy and development and diseases of the teeth

• denturist. - noun someone who makes dental appliances (bridges and dentures)

• elevator. - noun lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building;. the airfoil on the tailplane of an aircraft that makes it ascend or descend

• embrasure. - noun an opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through

• endodontics. - noun the branch of dentistry dealing with diseases of the dental pulp

• facial nerve. - noun cranial nerve that supplies facial muscles

• film. - noun a thin coating or layer;. photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies;. a thin sheet of (usually plastic and usually transparent) material used to wrap or cover things;. a medium that disseminates moving pictures;. a form of entertainment that enacts a story by a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement;. verb make a film or photograph of something;. record in film

• foot. - noun travel by walking;. any of various organs of locomotion or attachment in invertebrates;. a support resembling a pedal extremity;. the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint;. the lower part of anything;. a member of a surveillance team who works on foot or rides as a passenger;. a linear unit of length equal to 12 inches or a third of a yard;. the pedal extremity of vertebrates other than human beings;. lowest support of a structure;. (prosody) a group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm;. an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot;. verb add a column of numbers;. walk;. pay for something

• ghost town. - noun a deserted settlement (especially in Western United States)

• gingivitis. - noun inflammation of the gums

• glossitis. - noun inflammation of the tongue

• glossoptosis. - noun abnormal downward or back placement of the tongue

• gold. - adj. made from or covered with gold;. having the deep slightly brownish color of gold;. noun something likened to the metal in brightness or preciousness or superiority etc.;. great wealth;. coins made of gold;. a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia;. a deep yellow color

• greed. - noun excessive desire to acquire or possess more (especially more material wealth) than one needs or deserves;. reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)

• grill. - noun a framework of metal bars used as a partition or a grate;. a restaurant where food is cooked on a grill;. verb cook over a grill

• gutta-percha. - noun a whitish rubber derived from the coagulated milky latex of gutta-percha trees; used for insulation of electrical cables

• hard palate. - noun the bony part of the roof of the mouth

• health care. - noun social insurance for the ill and injured;. the preservation of mental and physical health by preventing or treating illness through services offered by the health profession

• herpes labialis. - noun caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)

• lichen planus. - noun an eruption of shiny flat-topped purplish (usually itchy) papules on the wrist and forearms and thighs

• macroglossia. - noun a congenital disorder characterized by an abnormally large tongue; often seen in cases of Down's syndrome

• maxilla. - noun the jaw in vertebrates that is fused to the cranium

• mouthwash. - noun a medicated solution used for gargling and rinsing the mouth

• mumps. - noun an acute contagious viral disease characterized by fever and by swelling of the parotid glands

• novocaine. - noun procaine administered as a hydrochloride (trade name Novocain)

• occlusion. - noun (dentistry) the normal spatial relation of the teeth when the jaws are closed;. closure or blockage (as of a blood vessel);. the act of blocking;. an obstruction in a pipe or tube;. (meteorology) a composite front when colder air surrounds a mass of warm air and forces it aloft

• oral cancer. - noun malignant neoplasm of the lips of mouth; most common in men over the age of 60

• orthodontics. - noun the branch of dentistry dealing with the prevention or correction of irregularities of the teeth

• orthodontist. - noun a dentist specializing in the prevention or correction of irregularities of the teeth

• parotitis. - noun inflammation of one or both parotid glands

• pemphigus. - noun a skin disease characterized by large thin-walled blisters (bullae) arising from normal skin or mucous membrane

• periodontal disease. - noun a disease that attacks the gum and bone and around the teeth

• prosthodontics. - noun the branch of dentistry dealing with the replacement of teeth and related mouth or jaw structures by artificial devices

• ranula. - noun a cyst on the underside of the tongue

• rhabdomyoma. - noun benign rumor of striated muscle

• riggs' disease. - noun chronic periodontitis; purulent inflammation of the teeth sockets

• root canal. - noun the passage in the root of a tooth through which its nerve and blood vessels enter the pulp cavity

• scope. - noun an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet";. electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities;. a magnifier of images of distant objects;. the state of the environment in which a situation exists

• shingles. - noun eruptions along a nerve path often accompanied by severe neuralgia

• sialadenitis. - noun inflammation of the salivary glands

• sodium fluoride. - noun a colorless crystalline salt of sodium (NaF) used in fluoridation of water and to prevent tooth decay

• soft palate. - noun a muscular flap that closes off the nasopharynx during swallowing or speaking

• specialty. - noun the special line of work you have adopted as your career;. a distinguishing trait;. an asset of special worth or utility

• stomatitis. - noun inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth

• teeth. - noun the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

• therapy. - noun (medicine) the act of caring for someone (as by medication or remedial training etc.)

• tongue. - noun the flap of material under the laces of a shoe or boot;. a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity;. a manner of speaking;. the tongue of certain animals used as meat;. any long thin projection that is transient;. metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side;. a human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language;. a narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea;. verb lick or explore with the tongue;. articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments

• tooth. - noun a means of enforcement;. toothlike structure in invertebrates found in the mouth or alimentary canal or on a shell;. something resembling the tooth of an animal;. one of a number of uniform projections on a gear;. hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense

• tooth decay. - noun soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth

• toothache. - noun an ache localized in or around a tooth

• toothbrush. - noun small brush; has long handle; used to clean teeth;. slang for a mustache

• toothpaste. - noun a dentifrice in the form of a paste

• toothpick. - noun pick consisting of a small strip of wood or plastic; used to pick food from between the teeth

• trismus. - noun prolonged spasm of the jaw muscles

• unicuspid. - adj. having a single cusp or point

• vanadium. - noun a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadinite

• veneer. - noun coating consisting of a thin layer of superior wood glued to a base of inferior wood;. an ornamental coating to a building;. verb cover with veneer

• wisdom tooth. - noun any of the last 4 teeth on each side of the upper and lower jaw; the last of the permanent teeth to erupt (between ages 16 and 21)

• zesty. - adj. marked by spirited enjoyment;. having an agreeably pungent taste.

Summary

Dentistry, transcending beyond the mere study of teeth, offers a holistic approach to oral and facial health. As the field continues to grow and integrate with other branches of medicine, the role of the dentist becomes even more integral in ensuring the overall well-being of patients. With its various sub-specialties, dentistry ensures comprehensive care, catering to diverse needs, spanning aesthetics to critical surgical interventions.

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