Who is a dentist?
A dentist is a certified specialist who specializes in diagnosing, preventing, and treating oral diseases. They help provide oral health services with support from dental hygienists, assistants, technicians, and occasionally other medical practitioners.
Dental roles can differ from state to state depending on their training and experience. Dentists advise patients about necessary preventive care and treatment, dietary habits, and lifestyle choices that affect overall well-being.
Educational requirements for dentists in the United States of America
To become a dentist, you must get a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as biology, chemistry, health, or mathematics, followed by the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). After two years of study in biomedical sciences, aspiring dentists can pursue clinical practice for two more years. Subsequently, they can earn their DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DDM (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine). The next step is passing the written and practical examinations to acquire dental licensing.
One can take the National Board Dental Examination for certification to advance professionally. Depending on interest and experience, dentists may be required to finish a postgraduate residency program lasting one to three years.
The mentioned specialties require a postgraduate residency for dentists:
- Endodontics
- Periodontics
- Dental public health
- Prosthodontics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Dental anesthesiology
- Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics
Importance of oral health maintenance
People often take good oral health for granted. They brush their teeth, floss, and perhaps use mouthwash occasionally, but do not think beyond that. However, it is necessary to do so, as oral health has far-reaching benefits beyond fresh breath and bright smiles. Dental hygiene can prevent cavities and reduce the risk of severe medical disorders such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory problems. Thus, maintaining optimum oral hygiene is crucial for overall health.
Dental concerns can lead to pain, discomfort, cavities, sensitivity, tooth loss, bad breath, or difficulty eating or speaking. Healthy teeth and gums are those that are free of disease. While certain bacteria in the mouth help achieve this, others can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Brushing your teeth twice and flossing one time daily is essential to prevent such conditions. If plaque is not removed, it forms tartar, a harder yellow or brown deposit.
When should you visit a dentist?
Visiting a dentist near you is essential as they can help prevent problems by spotting any issues early on or taking preliminary steps such as cleaning the teeth. The dentist can provide treatment and relief if you have existing oral problems. Dental professionals recommend routine cleanings and check-ups every six months. For example, patients with gum disease or cavities may need to visit the dentist frequently to keep their condition under control. To prevent further damage to your teeth or gums, you should see your dentist as soon as possible if you experience any dental pain or other symptoms.
What to expect at a dental check-up?
Typically, a dental examination entails teeth cleaning, X-rays, and an assessment of your mouth. While your hygienist undertakes cleaning, you will be seated in an oversized chair with an overhead light above you. They will scrape your teeth using metallic dental tools to remove tartar and plaque. After brushing and flossing your teeth, they apply fluoride gel or foam onto the teeth.
In a dental X-ray, images are produced to identify gum disease, cavities, bone loss, etc., that cannot be seen through the naked eye. Your dentist will cover your chest and neck to protect them from radiation. They ask you to bite on a small plastic piece. A scanner is placed outside the mouth, and your dentist will use it to take a picture.
Lastly, your dentist will check your X-rays for cavities or other problems during a dental check-up. They will also assess your teeth and gums to ascertain their health. Your dentist may also check your bite and screen you for oral cancer. Such screening is conducted by feeling under the jaw, inside the lips, sides, and the floor and roof of the mouth.
What foods and beverages are considered bad for the teeth?
Be mindful of what you eat and drink, as it can hurt your oral health. Avoid some foods altogether, while others can cause problems if consumed excessively. Consulting a dentist can help you understand what to eat and avoid. Here are a few examples of foods that can harm your teeth:
- Soft drinks: In addition to being linked with conditions like diabetes, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance, soft or carbonated drinks contain harmful acids that can affect the teeth in two ways. They are acidic and fuel cavity-producing bacteria, which can demineralize or destroy tooth enamel. This applies to diet sodas, too. They may be more erosive to the teeth as they contain citric acid, which is known to bind calcium in the teeth and remove it.
- Sugary foods like sweets and candy, such as pies, cookies, candies, and other delicacy treats, can increase bacteria inside your mouth. The bacteria mix with sugar molecules to form plaque, which settles on the tooth and gums, resulting in gum disease or tooth decay. Certain sweets like jelly beans, hard candies, lollipops, caramels, and other sticky sweets are worse as they stick to the teeth and gums. Dark chocolate (with about 70% cocoa), on the other hand, is known to have some benefits and may not be as bad as other sugary treats. Brushing your teeth twice daily and drinking lots of water after eating sweets or sugary foods also aid in maintaining oral hygiene and preventing oral diseases.
- Alcohol: We know that consuming excessive alcohol can harm the body in many ways. It can also affect the teeth. Alcohol tends to dry out the mouth. A dry mouth produces less saliva, which is necessary when washing away food particles and preventing them from sticking between your teeth and causing cavities or decay. Moreover, alcohol also increases a person's risk of mouth cancer. It is linked to just under a third (30%) of all mouth cancers. Combined with smoking, drinking can increase the risk of having mouth cancer by up to 30 times.
- Refined starchy foods, baked goods, and white bread: Chewing bread and crushing on snacks like potato chips causes saliva in our mouths to break down the starches into sugar, which causes cavities. Additionally, starchy foods can also stick between teeth. Less refined carbs, like whole grains, may be a better choice. However, whenever you indulge in snacks, ensure you floss that day to remove any food particles stuck in your teeth.
- Ice: You may think ice is frozen water, but it can considerably damage the teeth. Chewing hard ice may damage the teeth's enamel, or you may even break or chip your tooth, resulting in a dental emergency. Dentists recommend avoiding ice and drinking normal water to keep teeth and gums healthy.
- Citrus juices and fruits in excess: Citrus fruits and juices are essential for good health. However, excessive citric acid in your mouth erodes the enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to caries and bacteria. Drinking citrus juices through a straw is recommended to prevent the acid from directly touching the teeth to minimize the risk. Clean your mouth and teeth thoroughly with water after eating citrus fruits and juices to remove any acidic residue left on your teeth.
What kind of conditions can be linked to oral health?
Your oral health may be connected to several conditions, including:
- Endocarditis - This is an infection found in the heart's chambers or valves, known as the endocardium. It usually occurs when bacteria from another part of the body (the mouth)enter the bloodstream and attach to areas in the heart. While endocarditis is rare, it can be life-threatening.
- Cardiovascular disease - Some medical studies point towards a link between oral bacteria and inflammation and the development of heart disease, clogged arteries, and stroke.
- Pregnancy and birth complications - Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease, which has been associated with premature births and low birth weight.
- Pneumonia - Certain oral bacteria can be inhaled into the lungs, which can cause respiratory illnesses.
Certain health conditions that impact overall health can also affect oral health, such as:
- Diabetes - Diabetes weakens the body's ability to fight infections, putting the gums at higher risk. Gum disease is more common and tends to be more severe in people with diabetes. Research indicates that managing gum disease can help improve blood sugar control.
- HIV/AIDS - People with HIV/AIDS often experience oral issues, including painful mouth sores called mucosal lesions.
- Cancer - Several cancers, including those of the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, breasts, prostate, and uterus, have been linked to gum disease.
- Alzheimer's disease - As Alzheimer's progresses, oral health typically deteriorates.
At the beginning of your appointment, you must inform the dentist about any medicines you consume and any changes in your overall health, such as recent illnesses or ongoing conditions like diabetes.
How to choose the right dentist?
An accessible dental provider in your area or neighborhood is imperative to maintaining oral health, hygiene, and overall health. The mouth serves as an entry for certain bacteria, which (if harmful) can reach the respiratory and digestive systems and lead to diseases like pneumonia. Some oral issues, such as gum disease, have also been associated with cardiovascular conditions and diabetes.
Whether you are changing providers or simply wish to consult a dentist near you who accepts new patients, you need to search for one that does more than just clean your teeth. The following tips may help you choose the right dentist-
- Depending on your health, you may visit a dentist more than twice a year for a routine visit. Therefore, you must look for a dentist whose office you can quickly reach from home or your job.
- Choose a qualified dentist. All licensed dentists graduate from an accredited dental school in the United States and have a "DDS" or "DMD" next to their names. Specialists like endodontists and orthodontists complete additional postgraduate training. You should be able to find these qualifications listed at your dentist's office or online.
- Check if your dentist's office participates in your insurance plan. It is also important to check costs and payment plans before you schedule an appointment. If you compare different dental offices, you can also ask for estimated costs of procedures like full-mouth X-rays, dental cleaning, an oral exam, and filling a cavity.
- If you cannot find a good dentist, ask a friend or family member near you for a recommendation.
- If you are visiting a dentist, determine whether they are the right provider for you by checking if their office is neat, clean, and orderly, if the staff are helpful and friendly, if your medical and dental history is recorded correctly, and what their policy on missed appointments is.
- If you are a person with special care needs, such as a disability, you should ask your dentist's office how they accommodate those needs and if the dental care team has previous training treating patients who require special care.
- In addition to assisting you in finding the best treatment options and advising you on the best hygiene practices, they should help ease your dental anxiety. Discussing your fears of pain with your dentist can help them find the best ways to make you feel less anxious.
- You must also ask your dentist how they handle dental emergencies and situations that may arise after office hours. Typically, dentists will make arrangements with another dentist or set up an emergency referral service if they cannot tend to emergencies.
- A good dentist promotes only what is medically necessary for you. When seeking care, a dentist should not try to upsell products or treatments you do not need before an examination.
How do you find the best dentist near you in Athens, Georgia?
At Zocdoc, we make it easy for you to find the perfect dentist in Athens, Georgia. Sign up for a free and secure account on our website so that you can choose from our verified list of providers based on their specialty or proximity. We have an extensive network of board-certified dentists in Athens, Georgia. Every provider profile has all the information you need to decide on a dentist you want to see. You can also use our convenient deduction detector feature to learn more about your insurance plan.
If you prefer not to share your insurance information when booking through Zocdoc, you can acknowledge that you'll pay out of pocket. While some providers require insurance details to confirm appointments, Zocdoc makes searching for and choosing providers who accommodate your payment preferences easy. You can refer to the Zocdoc patient help center for any issues.
Before your appointment, you can check out patient reviews on the Zocdoc website or application if you are searching for a certified dentist in Athens, Georgia. You can make real-time appointments with dentists who accept your insurance plan. If you are looking for a female or male dentist near you, add a gender filter to your search results.
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Statistics about the dentist in Athens, Georgia
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that as of May 2021, Georgia had about 2,310 active dentists.
According to data from the American Cancer Society, the incidence rate of oral cavity & pharynx cancer recorded from 2017-2021 was higher (12.9) than the national average (12.2). It has also been estimated that Georgia will have about 1,870 new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer this year (2025). The projected deaths due to these conditions will be nearly 410.
Research indicates that fluoride helps reduce cavities by up to 25% in children and adults and helps keep teeth strong. Almost all water contains some amount of fluoride. However, the recommended concentration is 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. Community water fluoridation is a process by which fluoride levels are regulated to the recommended level required to prevent cavities, reduce oral health issues, and reduce costs. In 2020, Georgia had about 60 public water systems with fluoride levels over 0.71 ppm (the illegal limit is over 2.0 ppm). According to the CDC, in 2024, there were nearly 572 fluoridated water systems in Georgia, and it was received by 95.07% of the population in the state.
Sources
WebMD[1]
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
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Oral Health Foundation[2]
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MouthHealthy[2]
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