How Do I Know Which Dentist is Right for Me?
- dentistedmonton
- Oct 5, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 6, 2022
When was the last time you visited a dental professional? Over a year ago?
If the answer is yes, you may benefit from an evaluation with our dentist in Millwoods. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends a bi-annual visit to reduce the risk of oral issues like cavities and gum disease.
The benefit of not skipping your dental checkups is that you maintain your oral health in excellent condition, and you save money – since you prevent serious problems that require expensive dental work.
However, not everybody visits the dentist in time, and they wait until they are in pain to call a dental professional.
What Dental Professional Should I Visit?
Dentistry has many specialties. Depending on what you need, you should visit one dentist or another. We recommend visiting a general dentist near you for a general checkup, and depending on your problems, they will refer you to a specialist.
What is a General Dentist?
A general dentist is a professional that completed dental school. They have not specialized in any fields but know many areas.
When the issue is specific, they refer the patient to the experts.
Dental Specialties
1. Endodontics
Look for an endodontic dentist near you when the pulp is infected. After dental school, they take two or three more years working only with endodontic cases. In other words, they are the ones that perform the root canals.
A root canal is a dental procedure where doctors remove the pulp when infected. Then, they fill the piece with biocompatible material for extending its life. Many people fear this treatment; however, it requires a single appointment, and nowadays, some systems make it faster and comfortable.
2. Oral Surgery
Oral surgeons are specialists in extracting teeth. Dental extractions can be simple or surgical.
Simple extractions (when crowns are completely exposed) do not require gum or bone cutting, and general dentists perform them often. However, a surgeon should perform surgical ones. It is the case of impacted teeth, supernumerary teeth, or unerupted third molars.
During surgical ones, they will likely cut some gum (and sometimes bone) to expose the dental pieces and extract them with a pair of forceps. Depending on the case, you will need stitches or not. If you do, your doctor will remove them after a week.
Your surgeon will instruct you about postop care.
3. Orthodontics
If you want to align your teeth, you should visit an orthodontist. They are specialists in braces and aligning systems, like Invisalign (although not all of them have the Invisalign certification – You must find out before scheduling the appointment).
Depending on your wants and needs, you will undergo two or three years of orthodontics.
There are more specialties like pediatric dentistry, prosthetics, and periodontics. If you want to find out about them, you may visit our center. We have a team of specialists that can help you with any oral issues.
Things You Must Ask
Before choosing a dental professional (or any doctor), ask for recommendations. Knowing the opinion of their patients is very valuable. Also, you may check their reviews online. Nowadays, almost all doctors are on social media, and you can see their work through Facebook, Instagram, etc.
2. Location
Ensure the dental office is near your house (or work, depending on what is most convenient for you), so it is easy to attend your appointments.
3. Health Plan
Ask your insurance company if they offer coverage for the treatments you need, and find out if the dental clinic and doctor you plan to visit accept your insurance.
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