Dentistry is a vast subject unlike what other people think, people think that as dentistry deals only with one part of the body then why do they have 5 + 3 years of course for learning about such a small part of the body whereas in the same time the medical professionals are learning about the whole body.
This was the question put before me by many of my educated friends as well, So i am going to write down a brief note on the branches of dentistry, which are known as specialisations which will make you understand what dentistry really is!!!
Branches of dentistry:
1) Oral Medicine and Oral Radiology: It is the branch of dentistry which deals with the diagnosis and treatment planning of diseases and conditions related to Oral cavity and the surrounding structures. In dentistry Oral Medicine and Radiology as the basic and the most important part where the diagnosis of any condition is the first step in success towards treating any disease or condition for a Doctor.
2) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A branch of Dentistry which deals with the Surgical aspect relates of Mouth and the surrounding face as well. It involves upper and lower Jaws, facial bones up until the orbit etc. It involves simple surgeries such as impacted tooth removals, fractures involving the facial bones, Cyst removals and other surgeries such as Orthognathic surgery etc.
3) Community Dentistry (or) Preventive Dentistry: It is a branch of Dentistry which deals with preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical and mental efficiency through organized community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, control of communicable infections, education of individuals in personal hygiene, organization of medical and nursing services to help in the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease and development of the social machinery to ensure everyone a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health.
4) Pedodontics: It is a branch of dentistry which deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases in children’s teeth and oral cavity. A pedodontist deals with not just children but also with the parent by educating them about oral health in children and when to take action.
5) Endodontics: It is a term coined from the Greek language – Endo – Inside and Odont – tooth, it means that dealing with the dental pulp of contents inside the tooth. It deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the dental pulp along with associated tissues such as periradicular conditions.
6) Periodontics: It is a term coined from Greek literature, Peri – Around and odontos or odous – tooth meaning around the tooth. This branch deals with the supporting structures of the tooth or tissues surrounding the tooth. The supporting tissues such as Periodontium which include – Gums, cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone.
7) Orthodontics: It deals with the prevention, correction and Surgical treatment of malpositioned teeth and jaws. This branch deals with correction of modifying the growth of the patient to attain proper alignment of the Maxillary and Mandibular dentition.
8 ) Prosthodontics: According to ADA Prosthodontics is defined as ” the dental speciality pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation and maintenance of the oral function, comfort, appearance and health of the patients with clinical conditions associated with missing or deficient teeth or oral and maxillofacial tissues using bio compatible substitute”
9) Oral Pathology: It is also called as Oral and Maxillofacial pathology which deals with the diagnosis and study of the causes and effects of the diseases afecting the oral and maxillofacial region. It is a branch which can be related to both Dentistry and Pathology combined.
10) Implantology: It is a speciality of Dentistry which deals with replacement of missing teeth in the oral cavity with the help of an Endosseous Implant which involves a surgical process of placing a component in the bone of the jaw or skull to help support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge or denture. In some cases facial prosthesis are also supported by Implants. Some types of Implants are also used in Orthodontics as an Anchor to move teeth around.
11) Geriatric dentistry: It is a speciality of Dentistry which involves providing Dental Care to the Elderly or Senior Citizens. It deals with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dental problems in the elderly. It includes home visits and in some cases home treatments as well as the Elderly are less mobile and coming to the Dental Clinic, hospital or college might not be possible.
I want to be a dentist but i know it is not easy like what others think ..:)
Hi there, you are right dentistry is not at all easy it is a difficult and at the same time demanding.
It is really good to hear from you that you want to become an dentist, i think dentistry is a good profession now a days as there is huge improvement in the way people see dentistry and the awareness about their teeth health also helps.
All the best to you.
It is hard to graduate but once you become a licensed dentist you’ll be okay. Much better if you take up a dental specialization.
oh yeah guys,agreed….dentistry is a profession demands dedications & a person shud b applying all his/her efforts at all…m gonna 2 b a dentist…i m satisfy wid da depth of my soul in chossssing diz profession…hopefully..also enjoy..MAY ALLAH HELP ME..INSHALLAH
I quite appreciate this content the branches of dentistry. I just want to make a suggestion to write what all this branches entail as in the meaning of each branches. Thank you.
very true wat uve said..i myself is a final yr bds student… its not a simple field of medicine…people doesnt know much about it…they think its jus abt gettin a fillin done or jus extracting the tooth… infact, its much above al dis…th works d prosthetic dept does in replacing the missing part of body is amazing.. and the way accident or trauma cases are managed by the oral and maxillofacial surgeons…the way the orthodontist changes ur look..its all pretty much hardwork in accordance with the patient compliance wats happenin der… hats off to ur initiative… :)
I would like to ask u one question can after doing BDS for one year a person could enter MBBS 2nd year directly? as i have heard that MBBS and BDS ka first yr studies are same? IS THIS TRUE??
Sarah Henry dcruz: unfortunately you can’t do that. The subject are quite similar in both mbbs n bds, but mbbs students have to learn a lot more compared to bds syllabus. Take anatomy for example, as far as I know bds student only learn head n neck, and upper thorax region, meanwhile mbbs syllabus also include those and upper and lower limbs, etc. That also apply to other subject.
Even i m in 1st yr BDS.. names of subjects of BDS as well as MBBS are same..but studies or syllubus is wast in MBBS
As we have Biochem and Physiology as a single sub..but they are seperate and have part 1 and part 2 also in case of mbbs. Anatomy.. we have head and neck,thorax and some main organs..but MBBS student have to study the whole body.and we have Dental anatomy and hostology..but they have pharmacology
I have no idea about dentistry but still i am aiming to do it ,despite not knowing my suitable branch to choose. so ,is it good to do BDS and wait until I see my suitable branch?? is this a good idea ? i am still in a dilemma please help me
Dentistry is an interesting field and challenging at the same time, the present is quite competitive and the future will only bring more competition. So before you get into it, do a bit of research if you are up for the challenges to set up a clinic etc.
HELLO , I AM FIDELE I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW YOUR ADVICE ON DENTISTRY AS I AM ONE WHO TAKE IT AS MY FUTURE PROFFESSION
is this all related to dental materials
Hi, thank you for sharing this blog post! There are a lot of important information from this article and I love it.
In my opinion, You are probable generally familiar with a general or family dental specialist. This is the individual that you see every six months to clean your teeth and take routine x-rays.
Such an informative and well-structured overview of the various branches of dentistry. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into explaining each specialization, and this post is a valuable resource for those looking to better understand the diverse aspects of dentistry. Thank you for sharing this knowledge!